Piper didn’t mind. Large was good. She needed them to be large, and all the running she done over the past few days with no change of clothing left her feeling horrible. If she lifted her arms, she was sure she could smell her own body odor.
“Sit.” He nodded at the round wooden table in the middle of the kitchen. “It won’t be a minute.”
She did as he’d instructed, slipping into one of the chairs.
Carter set about warming something up on the stove, and within minutes the scent of carrots, onions, and bay leaves filled the air.
“It’s just leftover stew,” he said over his shoulder, making it sound like an apology.
Her stomach gurgled with hunger. “Smells incredible.”
He shrugged. “It’s nothing.”
When it was warmed through, he set some in a bowl and placed it in front of her at the table. He laid a spoon down beside it.
“Thank you.” She picked up the spoon and scooped up some of the beef, vegetables, and gravy and brought it to her mouth. It tasted as good as it smelled, and she was so hungry, she couldn’t even bring herself to be embarrassed about wolfing down mouthful after mouthful, while Carter stood and watched her with a kind of amused pleasure.
“I’ll run you a bath,” he said when she’d finished.
Her cheeks heated. He must have been able to smell her. With his shifter sense of smell, there was no way he wouldn't. How mortifying. A part of her wanted to curl up and give in, just sleep forever and forget any of this was happening to her, but she couldn’t. Anyway, she’d already done the hard part. Now she needed to look forward and figure out what the hell she was going to do with the rest of her life. That was, of course, assuming he didn’t catch up with her.
Carter continued, unaware of her thoughts. “And you can stay in the guest suite until you’re feeling yourself again.”
“You don’t need to do this, you know?” she said, looking up at him.
“Do what?”
“Help me.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, I know. Anyway, I’m not doing this purely for you.” He gave her a wink. “Maybe I like having someone else in the house again. It’s too big for one person to be knocking around.”
“What do you do to be able to afford a place like this?” She’d meant to think it, rather than say it, and her cheeks burned when she realized she’d asked the question out loud. It wasn’t any of her business. She flapped her hand. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”
But he laughed, a smile spreading across his handsome face. “Can’t say I can take much credit. The house has been in my family for generations now, and I invest what money I inherited after my parents died. It wasn’t a huge amount, but I guess I have an eye for what’s going to do well on the stock market.” He paused and then asked, “How about you?”
His question flustered her. “Oh, me? Nothing, really. I haven’t quite figured that part out yet.”
She couldn’t tell him the truth. A sickening darkness twisted her gut at the thought. None of it had been her fault, but she knew how it made her look—pathetic, weak, stupid. She was ashamed she’d been so easily pushed into something she hadn’t wanted, ashamed her parents had seen her as more of a commodity than a daughter whose happiness they cherished. If her own parents hadn’t been able to love her, then how could she expect anyone else to?
Chapter Five
CARTER COULDN’T EXPLAIN why he felt a drive to help her. It was more than that. In his mind, there had been no question that he’d do whatever it took to make sure this beautiful young woman stayed safe. He felt as though he’d stumbled across some rare and endangered creature, and instantly recognized it was his life’s work to make sure she was protected in every way.
His fingers itched with the urge to run them across her pale skin, to pause at her mouth and trace the line of her cupid’s bow. But normally, where he would have simply pushed her up against a wall and claimed her mouth with his own, he didn’t feel he could do that with Piper. There was something different about her, and it wasn’t just the scent of her that made his mind blurry with an emotion he couldn’t yet pin down. All the women he knew wore tight fitted jeans, showing off their sexy curves, yet Piper wore a loose smock, which covered her from head to toe. Was it a religious thing? Had she escaped some kind of cult where she wasn’t allowed to show her skin?
He wanted to ask, but just as he felt he couldn’t touch her, as though she was somehow on another level to him, he also instinctively knew he had to give her time to unravel, like the petals of a flower unfurling to the light.
And he had to be that light.
The house was plenty big enough for her to have her own space. He didn’t know what he was thinking—that he’d make her not want to leave? What would the rest of the town think when they discovered he’d brought a strange woman into his home, and into their pack? He couldn’t keep her a secret, could he? That was madness. No, already she seemed stronger since he’d found her in the forest. As shifters, their resources were better than a human’s, and they recovered faster. By morning, she was sure to want to leave and continue with her life.
He guided her up the stairs, toward the guest suite. Though he’d carried her in his arms while naked through the forest, now she seemed more herself, he had to clench his fists at his sides in order to stop himself from placing his palm against the small of her back and guiding her up.
He reached past her to open the door to the bedroom of the guest suite. Though he rarely had guests, it was already set up. Carter crossed the room to the adjoining door and pushed it open to reveal a luxurious bathroom with a full sized bath. Without asking if it was what she wanted, somehow knowing it would help make her feel better, he ran the hot water and added a healthy dash of bubble bath. Steam and a fragrant scent filled the room, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Piper watching him. Tears shimmered in her blue eyes, and his chest tightened.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong. I’ve just never had anyone do anything for me before.”
Carter frowned. “What are you talking about? Me running you a bath?”
She sniffed. “Yeah, that, and the food you made me.”
“No one’s ever made you food before?”
“Maybe as a child, but as soon as I was able to, I fended for myself. I’ve always been the one to look after everyone else since then.”
Sadness at her story filled him, only increasing his need to see her safe and happy. This was a new experience for him. He had never wanted to take care of another person before, not really. There had always been an ulterior motive—mostly wanting to get a woman into bed, giving her the impression he was an all-around decent guy, when really all he was thinking about was what was in her panties.
“Where are all your belongings?” he asked. “Your bag? A purse, even?”
Piper shook her head. “I had a bag, but it was stolen.”
“Shit. Shouldn’t you report it?”
Her teeth dug into her lower lip. “I can’t.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“It’s hard to explain. I just don’t want the cops involved.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t look like a criminal.”
His comment surprised a small laugh from her. “No, I’m not. I promise. Please, trust me when I say I don’t want the cops around.”
Carter nodded. It wasn’t his place to push her any further. She had nothing to do with him. Just because he’d offered to help her out didn’t give him the right to pry into her life. He assumed she’d get herself rested and warmed up, and then she’d be on her way.
His chest tightened at the thought. He’d lose that incredible scent.
“Well, you can have whatever you need from here. Stay as long as you want.”
He watched her hesitate.
“My life is complicated, Carter. You don’t need to be so kind to me. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you. We just met.”
&nb
sp; He lifted both hands in a surrender gesture. “Hey, all I meant was that you have a safe place here if you need it. No pressure. I’ll leave you to it. Take a bath, and I’ll put those clean clothes outside your door, then get some rest. You can do whatever you decide is best in the morning.”
She passed by him, heading toward the bath, as he moved to leave the room. Then she stopped, and stood on tiptoes, and kissed his cheek. The scent of her washed over him, and he couldn’t stop his body’s primal reaction to having her so close. But then she pulled away again, leaving him only with a desire for more.
“Thanks, Carter.”
“No problem, Piper.”
He forced himself to leave, trying not to think of her slipping the dirty smock from her body, leaving her gloriously naked in the steam-filled room. He tried not to think about how her breasts would look in the bath, the nipples peeping out of the bubbles as they floated, unhindered by gravity.
He shook the thought from his head and went to what used to be his parents’ old bedroom. He still had their clothes hung up in the closet and filling the drawers. He probably should get rid of it all—it had been ten years now—but the house was big enough that he didn’t need to use the room. It seemed to him that no harm came from letting things stay just as they had been when they died. His father hadn’t wanted to get rid of any of his mother’s clothing during the two years after she’d passed, so it had never felt right that he clear things out either.
Carter selected a number of items from his mother’s belongings and took them back to the guest suite. He hesitated outside of the door, not wanting to open it if Piper was in the bath. Instead, he placed the clothes on the floor outside the door, figuring she’d find them when she was ready.
The doorbell rang, and he hurried downstairs. Had someone spotted him arriving home with a strange woman on the back of his bike, and was here to ask questions? He didn’t know how he was going to explain what he was doing to someone who’d want to throw a little common sense into the situation. Picking up strange women in the forest and bringing them home wasn’t something that happened every day.
He opened the front door to reveal the tall, lean, black-haired figure of his beta, James, standing on his porch.
“Hey.” James stepped into the house without even waiting for an invitation. “I know it’s getting late, but I’ve got some papers I need you to look at.”
Carter glanced over his shoulder, wondering if Piper would appear at the top of the stairs, perhaps wrapped in a towel, but the spot remained empty.
“Papers?” he said, turning his attention back to James. “What papers?”
“The Evans and the Farmer families are looking to do a house swap. Gladys Evans says their place is too big for just the two of them now, and the Farmers are still popping out offspring. It seems like the sensible thing to do, but I need you to sign off on it.”
“Couldn’t it have waited until morning?” he snapped.
James frowned. “I was passing by. You normally don’t mind. Everything okay?” Then he grimaced. “Ah, shit. You cut up about Kimberly? I heard the two of you split.”
Carter shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. It’s not like I didn’t see it coming.”
James’s lips twisted, as though considering his alpha’s emotional state. “Okay, as long as you’re sure.” He lifted the paperwork higher. “You want me to come back with these tomorrow, then?”
Coming back for a second time would only increase the possibility of him spotting Piper—if she was even still around by then. He reached out and took the papers.
“Might as well do it now, as you’re here. Then I’m gonna get an early night. It’s been a rough day.”
James stared at him.
“What?” He gritted his teeth.
“Nothing. I just don’t think I’ve ever heard you say you’re going to get an early night before.”
“So sue me.”
He turned and stalked into his office before he could say anything else that got his beta’s spidey-senses tingling. He slammed the paperwork down on the desk and snatched a pen out from the holder. He quickly scanned down the document. It appeared pretty standard—it just needed his signature as alpha to make it official.
Carter scrawled his name then handed the paperwork back to James. “Anything else?”
His beta shook his head. “Nope, that’s it.” His eyes seemed to search Carter’s face, and again Carter was filled with the worry James would somehow guess what he’d done. “Sure there’s nothing you want to talk about?”
“Seriously, James. I’m a big boy. I don’t need a shoulder to cry on just ’cause some chick broke it off with me.”
“Okay.” He started back toward the front door. “But you know where I am if you need me.”
Carter didn’t honor his comment with a reply, and instead showed him to the front door then shut it on his retreating form with relief. The last thing he’d wanted to do was explain the presence of Piper in his home. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to keep her a secret, as though letting the pack know would only break the magic of it.
Though he’d been telling James he was tired in order to get rid of him, he realized the toll of the day had weighed on him. He went to the kitchen to pour himself a nightcap, downing the whiskey in one go, the liquor burning a path down his throat, and then he traipsed back upstairs.
He went to bed, his head filled with thoughts about the girl, now sleeping, he hoped, on the other side of the house.
Chapter Six
PIPER WOKE WITH NO idea where she was.
The usual surge of adrenaline at anticipating what the waking world would offer her sent her heart racing, and she sat up. She was in a huge bed, with numerous feather pillows surrounding her, and a warm, soft eiderdown covering her body. Gradually, it all tumbled back—how she’d collapsed in the forest, and how she’d been rescued by a big alpha on a motorcycle.
Her hand slipped down her body to rest on the swell of her stomach. She’d found a t-shirt and some sweatpants outside the bedroom door, just as Carter had promised, and while they were far too large for her, they helped to hide her growing shape.
How long did she have to go now? Because she’d kept her pregnancy a secret from everyone around her, she hadn’t had any pre-natal care. With the shorter gestations of shifter babies, she guessed she had perhaps a month or so left, but it could also be a matter of weeks. The thought terrified her, but it wasn’t the prospect of pain she was frightened of. She’d be giving birth alone, in a strange place, with no plan for her future. Her baby wasn’t even born yet, and she already felt as though she’d failed him or her. The father was a man she didn’t think should be allowed anywhere near people, never mind a small child, and she’d allowed this person to get her pregnant—well, not allowed, as such, but it had happened.
Beneath her palm, the baby pushed out a foot, or maybe a hand, pressing back on her. Piper’s heart swelled with love for the child she hadn’t yet met. She promised herself it was just her and her baby against the world, and as long as they had each other, it would be enough. Yet all the practicalities of having a newborn threatened to crowd her thoughts.
Fresh nerves tumbled through her at the thought of seeing the man who’d saved her from the forest. She assumed he was somewhere in this big house. Last night, it didn’t seem as though he was in any hurry to get rid of her, but the light of day might have made him change his mind. Besides, she couldn’t stay here. What if the man she was running from caught up to her? The thought made her lightheaded and sick. He’d kill her, she was sure. Would he wait until she’d given birth and take the child as his own, or would he beat her while she was still pregnant, and kill them both together? She almost would prefer the second option. At least then her child wouldn’t have to grow up in that house. If the baby was female, she’d be subjected to being no more than a housemaid, and, even worse, if the child was male, he may grow up to be like his father.
No, she needed to keep movi
ng, at least until she was no longer able to. When she had no choice, and the baby’s birth was imminent, then she’d be forced to stop, but only for as long as it took her to gather her strength again. Anyway, the man who’d helped her didn’t know about her pregnancy. He looked like the kind of guy who quite literally ate women for breakfast, and the moment he discovered she was unavailable to him in that way, she had no doubt that he’d throw her out.
SHE FOUND CARTER IN the kitchen, frying something in a pan.
He must have heard her approach, as he glanced over his shoulder. “Morning,” he said, a smile tweaking one side of his full lips. His light brown hair was ruffled from sleep, and the start of stubble darkened his jaw. His gaze shifted to the kitchen window, which looked out onto the front porch and the street beyond, and he left the stove to pull down the blind, shutting out the view of the road.
Piper didn’t know his reasons behind doing so, but she still found her shoulders relaxing at the privacy. She didn’t know who was out there, who might catch a glimpse of her from the outside world and recognize her. It was highly unlikely, but they were still all shifters, and there was a chance the man she was running from had contacts here.
Carter moved back to the stove and continued to cook. Eggs and bacon, from the smell permeating the air. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Better, thanks.”
He nodded at the round kitchen table. “Sit. Breakfast won’t be long.”
Her stomach growled at the thought. Though she felt as though she should be telling him she needed to leave, she’d been ravenous since becoming pregnant, and it wasn’t as though she had regular meals lined up right now.
Toast popped from a toaster, and before she could even offer to help, he’d placed a plate in front of her, together with a slab of butter, and then set about filling it with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. He did the same for himself and sat opposite, before jumping up again, clearly having forgotten something. He yanked open the fridge and pulled out a carton of juice, retrieved two glasses from a cupboard, and then poured them both some.
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