by Crissy Smith
“I wish we’d have known,” she said sadly. “But again, thank you for the rescue.”
Brian’s gaze met hers. “Now that we’ve met, I have to believe that it was meant to be. My team was fated to rescue you.”
Piper tensed. “What do you mean?”
“I’m a pretty strong wolf, but we know that no one in our unit is an Alpha.”
Uncomfortable, Piper gripped Jace’s hand. No, this couldn’t be happening. She’d decided to wait on telling Jace. She glanced over at Bobby and saw his face had paled. “And?” she pressed.
“We need you.”
“Need me to do what?”
“Become our Alpha. Accept us into your Pack. We’ve gotten no help from anyone we’ve come across. Instead, they have shunned us. We don’t know much, but more and more information is being uncovered. Still, we can feel something missing.”
“Missing?” Jace asked what Piper was afraid to. “And what do you mean about Piper being your Alpha?”
“We’re military. We need a leader, and our wolves need a guide. Piper is such a strong lycan that she’d easily be able to give us what we need.”
“I don’t…” Jace paused to peer over at her.
She dropped her chin. This wasn’t how she wanted him to find out. Hell, she hadn’t wanted him to find out at all.
“Piper?”
She had to force herself to meet his gaze.
Jace gasped. “You knew?”
Unable to help glancing over at Bobby, she remained silent.
“Bobby?” Jace practically growled.
“I knew after the first time I shifted with her. I was compelled to submit to her.”
“You… That’s what was wrong when you both came back to us all that time ago,” Jace accused.
“It’s not like that. I just needed time to think about it,” Piper told him.
Jace stood. He was clenching his jaw, and anger flashed in his eyes. “We need to discuss this in private.”
He didn’t wait for her to respond, just turned on his heel and stomped out of the room.
“I’m sorry. I thought he knew. It’s not liking you were hiding it,” Brian told her.
“How did you know?” she asked suspiciously.
“You forced Mitch—a newly turned, deeply wounded wolf—to transform. Only his Alpha would have been able to do that.”
“I don’t know anything. You’ve probably learned more than I have.”
“We can offer you our intel and you can offer us a Pack. Talk to Jace. I’ll hang around in case you have any more questions, but we need you. I think you just might need us as much.”
* * * *
Jace wasn’t sure what to say to Piper. She’d entered the room quietly and not moved away from the door. She looked at him with sympathy, her eyes bright with unshed tears. He didn’t want to make her feel that way but he couldn’t help the anguish he felt at her keeping things from him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.
She opened her mouth but shook her head.
“You keep secrets from me now? What else haven’t you told me? I thought we were partners, mates, but…”
“We are,” she whispered.
“Then why?” he demanded.
“How much more can you take?” she cried. “When are you going to decide enough is enough? I can’t lose you! Don’t you understand that? If you left me…”
Jace hadn’t been prepared for the tears. “Oh, baby.”
She tried to push him away, but Jace wasn’t having any of that.
Embracing her, he held her tight. “I could never leave you. I don’t know why you would think that.”
“I tell myself you won’t, but I know that without you, I don’t have anything. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. God, Piper, you’re everything to me. You have to trust me.”
“I’m so scared everything that is happening will end up driving you away. I got you kidnapped, tortured and your best friend turned.”
“Well, see? I thought I got you kidnapped, tortured and my best friend turned. I was the one that pushed for you to learn more about yourself. I had Mitch call Cody and requested to meet with Vince.”
“It’s not your fault,” Piper told him.
“Neither is it yours,” he pointed out.
Piper sniffled before laughing quietly. “What a pair we make!”
“Yeah,” he agreed before leading her to the bed. “We need to talk about what this means.”
She sighed but settled next to him. “I’m scared.”
“I know.”
Chapter Fifteen
Piper crawled back into bed with her mind still whirling. The shower had helped ease her tense muscles and had given her time to clear her mind.
Jace was warm and welcoming as she cuddled close.
She didn’t want to think any more about anything. How had her life come to staying at a Marine Corps base as werewolves tried to get her to become their Alpha?
“How are you holding up?” he asked quietly, rolling over to wrap his arm around her.
“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted.
“Shh, don’t think about it right now. Rest. We’ll have plenty of time to come to a decision,” he told her.
As she closed her eyes, she tried to blank her mind. Jace’s lips softly on the back of her neck helped pull her away from her thoughts. Grateful for his love and support, Piper twined her fingers with his where his hand rested on her stomach.
All she needed was Jace. Everything else would be okay.
* * * *
The strong scent of freshly mowed grass teased her senses as Piper leaped over one of the other wolves. She barely managed to stop another from side bumping her.
Rolling out of the way, she easily bounded back up on her four paws.
It felt good running with her Pack. Instead of the constant worry she usually had when in her animal form, she was free. Able to play and fool around out in the open with no fear of discovery.
Even in wolf form she knew who the others around her were. Mitch, Bobby and Brian stayed at her side the entire time. Spread out farther, more wolves danced around, and while she didn’t know their names, there was a strong bond.
They were all hers.
Well, hers and Jace’s. No longer strangers but family and friends. Each member of the Pack filled a hole that Piper hadn’t even been aware she’d had.
An enticing aroma floated through the air, bringing her to a stop. Her mate.
Turning her head, she spotted her man standing just outside the field that she and the others were currently playing in. Throwing her head back, she howled for him.
One lone call turned louder as each Pack member joined her calling to the Alpha male.
The link burned bright between her and Jace. The minute he started toward her, she could feel his attention deep within her heart.
Jogging toward him, she kept her gaze locked on his. Jace didn’t fear her in this form. Instead love and admiration came through their connection.
Piper bumped against his leg until he knelt to bury his hands into her fur. Within a couple of minutes, they were surrounded by the others.
A happy sound escaped as she accepted the warmth of her people.
* * * *
Since Jace wasn’t yet awake, Piper quietly climbed out of bed. Usually he was always up before her but he needed rest. The dream had been so vivid that she actually felt more refreshed than she could have imagined.
On silent feet, she tiptoed to the door and exited without making a sound.
She wasn’t surprised when she spotted Brian leaning against the wall across from her door. His head was tilted back while he snored.
Keeping watch. It wasn’t necessary but she appreciated the gesture, especially with Mitch still recovering.
Not wanting to disturb him either, she slowly made her way to the room next to hers. Tapping on the door, she hoped Bobby would hear her. She didn’t want to jus
t walk in.
Luckily the door opened and Bobby peered up at her.
“Hey,” she whispered.
He smiled brightly before waving her inside.
Mitch was in one of the beds covered up while watching her enter.
“How are you feeling?” she asked concerned.
“Hungry,” Mitch told her.
Laughing, she nodded in understanding. “I know. If you get up, we’ll see about getting some breakfast.”
“I was just dreaming about pancakes.”
Seeing Mitch in good spirits relieved some of her worry. She turned toward Bobby. “How about you?”
His shrugging in answer wasn’t going to fly.
Mitch frowned at Bobby. “Why don’t I jump in the shower and then we’ll go eat? Jace still asleep?”
“Yeah but he’ll probably be up soon.”
“Okay, give me a few minutes.”
Piper waited until Mitch had the water started before sitting on Mitch’s bed. Waving across from her, she motioned for Bobby to sit.
When Bobby was settled, she leaned forward. “Talk to me. Tell me how you are feeling.”
“I can’t help but feel responsible. Every time I look at Mitch, I know it’s my fault he was turned.”
“How is it your fault?” she asked.
“If I was strong enough to fight, he wouldn’t have been taken. Instead I hid like a little boy.”
“You stayed safe so you could bring in the troops and rescue us. We’re the ones that contacted Vince,” she assured him. Dropping down to her knees in front of him as she gripped his hands, she made certain his gaze met hers. “You did good. I am so proud of you.”
“Really?” he asked tentatively.
“I swear.”
“Thanks. Mitch said the same thing but I just couldn’t believe him. How is he not mad at me?”
“Because it’s not your fault. If I have to tell you all day, every day, until you believe me, I will.”
Bobby’s chuckle was low but heartfelt. “I’ll work on it.”
Piper squeezed his hands before getting back on the bed. Curling her legs under her, she looked closely at him. “So Cody came through.”
She expected the blush.
“Yeah, he was pretty great,” Bobby agreed.
“You like him?”
Bobby chewed on his lip instead of answering as he glanced away.
“It’s okay if you do,” she told him.
Bobby’s gaze came back to her quickly. “I didn’t think you liked him.”
“I don’t know him, but he did get Brian. If you like him then I’ll make an effort to talk with him,” she promised.
“I just feel a connection to him. Like maybe he understands me,” Bobby confided.
“That’s good.”
“I don’t know if he feels the same, though.”
“You have time. Make the effort to learn more about him. Jace and I will be here to support you.”
“Is Jace mad?”
“No, he was upset that I’d kept a big secret from him, but he also understood. You can’t put that on yourself either. I made the decision not to share my concern with Jace. We’ll get past this. We love each other too much not to.” Piper believed what she was saying.
She’d hurt Jace and she know knew that she would have to learn from her mistake. She’d never hide anything from him again. She trusted him to stand by her. He deserved her faith in him.
“Thanks, Piper.”
“You’re welcome.”
The water shut off but that was okay. She felt good about her talk with Bobby. Now they needed to fuel up. Hopefully things could start to settle down.
* * * *
Jace woke slowly, breathing in Piper’s fresh and clean scent, knowing she was safe and sound, even if she wasn’t in bed with him.
Glancing at his watch, he noted it was just after eight in the morning. He normally never slept so late, but he’d needed it.
The emotional drain from the last few days had started to catch up with him. His heart-to-heart with Piper the night before had also helped to settle the unease inside.
He’d known that she wasn’t sharing everything with him. He should have pressed her but at the time, he hadn’t known what they were dealing with.
Piper was an Alpha among her people—a leader that others would depend on. While he knew she was up for the job, she still doubted herself. He was relieved to see that she was at least open to speaking with Brian. Of learning more. Hopefully she’d gotten enough rest to decide how they should proceed. Jace wanted to go home.
He’d find her and they could start to make plans. He climbed out of bed and dressed quickly. He strolled to the door and yanked it open intent on tracking her down. He was surprised to see Brian outside the door again. Didn’t the guy ever sleep?
“Good morning,” Brian greeted him.
“Hey, how are you?” he asked. It was still strange to be talking with the man he’d thought was dead.
Smiling brightly, Brian looked good. “I’m great, actually.”
Well, that was an unexpected answer. “Really?” he questioned.
“I know you don’t understand completely about Piper’s shifter status, but just having her here has gone a long way to calming me. This morning as I made sure breakfast was ordered, I just enjoyed being in the same room with her. Have you spoken about her taking the position of Alpha?”
Shaking his head, Jace wasn’t sure how to respond. “About that, we need to talk.”
“Sure, how about some coffee? The others have started breakfast.”
“Please.” Jace really needed the caffeine. He followed Brian to the same small room that they’d had dinner in the previous night.
He quickly greeted Piper and the others, glad to see them settling in.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee was heaven. Set out on one side of the room in buffet style were silver covered dishes. Ignoring the food for now, he headed straight to the table with coffee pots and juice containers.
He poured two mugs before he carried them over to sit beside Brian.
“I’m sorry I never told you I was still alive. When I came back from the mission, I was so fucked up and scared that I just went with anything the brass said. I really thought they’d end up killing us all.”
Jace could understand. He’d thought long and hard the night before about how he would have handled being turned during his time in service.
In all honesty, he probably wouldn’t have done anything different from Brian. “I don’t blame you. It’s just taking some time for me to get used to. I thought you were dead. What are the chances that not only are you sitting here with me but you also share the same secret as the woman I love?”
“Fate works in mysterious ways,” Brian commented quietly.
“Fate?” he scoffed.
Grinning, Brian only looked back at him. “You said it yourself. What are the chances?”
“We’re here, so what’s next?”
Setting his cup on the table, Brian turned in his chair to face Jace directly. “That depends on you and Piper.”
He didn’t even pretend not to understand what Brian was talking about. Glancing over at Piper, he saw she’d stopped eating. “You were serious? You want Piper to become the Alpha of your unit?”
Brian was already nodding before Jace had even finished his question. “We have the resources to investigate our kind all over the world—to get answers that we need. We’ll do that, but we still need you both. We crave the structure of a Pack. We have to have an Alpha.”
“I understand wanting Piper as your Alpha, but why do you need me?”
“It’s hard to explain. I’m drawn to Piper.”
Jace narrowed his eyes at Brian.
Laughing while waving his hand at Jace, Brian was obviously amused. “Not that way. She’s a beautiful woman but I don’t want to sleep with her.”
The protectiveness he felt toward Piper eased at Brian’s admission. He beli
eved his old buddy.
“While I crave Piper claiming me as one of her Pack, I also feel the desire to submit to you.”
“What?”
“You’re a part of Piper. Her mate, and we can feel the bond. We yearn for your acceptance also. The Alpha male to us.”
“I feel the same way,” Bobby offered. “I have from the start.”
Sitting back in his chair, Jace thought about Brian and Bobby’s statements. He already felt a connection with Bobby, and he hadn’t known the young man long. Was it because of his link with Piper?
“I have a question,” Piper spoke up.
Brian nodded, appearing relaxed and willing to answer.
“Vince didn’t figure out I was an Alpha but you picked it up just because I forced Mitch to change?”
“I also met you in your shifted form. Your power is even stronger when you transform. I have no idea what we would have done if you’d been on the other side of things. It could have ended badly for us,” Brian answered.
Piper glanced over at him, seeming to accept Brian’s explanation. Worry was etched in her delicate features, though, and Jace wasn’t sure how he could help. He’d find some way, though.
“What exactly do you want of us?” Jace asked directly.
“Most of what we know is instinct. I wish I had all the answers for you. But having you close calms me. I think it will be the same with the others. They’ve already asked, and I told them I’d arrange for them to meet Piper officially when she was ready.”
“How would Piper becoming your Alpha work?”
“Our commander is aware of you and Piper. I also updated him on the events of yesterday. I mentioned Mitch and Bobby, so they are welcome here with you. Since Mitch is still active, he is being transferred under my command. You, Piper and Bobby will have full access to our base at all times.”
“Access?”
“We still must serve, but I think if we have contact with Piper, we’ll be able to handle our missions better. Right now our duties are all stateside, but that could change. We have enough leeway that as we figure out what we require, all we have to do is ask.”
“The government is backing you up without…experimenting on you or anything?” Jace asked, knowing that was one of Piper’s biggest fears.