by Emma Dean
Xavier and Caleb shared a look in the front of the truck’s cab.
“Dad!” Piper winced again and glanced at Morgan, but the witch was completely out. “Just come over to my stupid apartment!”
“Fine. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
She hung up the phone and sighed. Why was her father so fracking difficult sometimes?
“We don’t have to do this now,” Caleb said quietly.
“No,” she snapped, realizing just how tired she was by the sound of her voice. “I want to set these plans in place. If the Pride’s property is really that much safer, we should go there. And I want to be a shifter so I can be faster and stronger – to protect myself instead of always being the damsel in distress.”
Xavier looked surprised about the shifter part, but he nodded. “Although I just want you to know babe, you’re not really a damsel in distress. You knocked that croc out with a fucking book and then tased the shit out of him.”
Caleb chuckled at that. “Man, I wish I could have seen that.”
Niko tentatively put an arm around her shoulders and Piper leaned into him. They managed to turn her bad moods around, and that was pretty impressive. Usually no one was able to get rid of her attitude except Patrick, and only because he was her dance partner.
There was a pang in her chest at the idea of leaving him, their partnership, and their competitions. How would she break the bad news to him? They’d worked together for a long time, but not only that, he’d been the closest thing to a friend she’d had before Caleb, Niko, and Xavier had introduced her to a whole new, paranormal world.
Caleb parked outside her apartment building and she sighed. It was completely dark and only the streetlights gave her any ability to see anything. If she moved, she’d never have her own space again, but did she really want it now that she knew what it was like to be surrounded by so much love and care?
It wasn’t like they suffocated her either. All three of them were quiet when she read and sometimes Niko read over her shoulder, but generally they did their own thing, and in her tiny apartment with all four of them and her cat, it was no small thing for her not to feel claustrophobic with them constantly around.
“What’s wrong?” Niko asked softly.
The other two turned to look at her in concern as well.
Piper shrugged sheepishly. “I know I said I’m ready for this next step, but then I thought about Patrick and our upcoming competitions…” she trailed off and looked down at the thin white scar along her entire forearm, all that was left of her physical trauma. “I don’t want to give that up.”
“You don’t have to,” Caleb told her, twisting so he could grab her hand and squeeze. “You can still compete with him this season, but after that you’ll compete with me.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock, but then a slow smile took over her face. “Really?” she asked in disbelief. “That’s something you want to do?” That kind of partnership would be a dream.
Caleb smiled and both Niko and Xavier looked shocked at the transformation in their Alpha. He really did look like a god when he smiled. “We can even try for pro competitions if you want. I will always make time for you Piper, even if I am Alpha.”
“I would love that.”
Niko opened the door and offered her his hand. Piper took it and then looked up when she heard a loud motorcycle pull up. She watched as the rider stopped next to the truck and then put the kickstand down, but left the engine running. They flipped up their visor and somehow Piper wasn’t surprised to find Jess winking at her.
Her leopards let Jess open the other door and catch Morgan before she fell out.
“Is she going to be all right?” Piper asked.
Morgan got her bearings and then took a little pill out of her pocket and popped it in her mouth. She waved to Piper through the open doors of the truck and instantly she looked more awake. Morgan took the spare helmet from Jess and then climbed on the back of the motorcycle like she’d done it a thousand times before.
“Her girlfriend back in Portland has a motorcycle too,” Niko whispered in her ear. “She just took a caffeine pill with a bit of magic in it, she’ll be fine.”
Jess waved goodbye and then blew a kiss to the cop car pulling up before she peeled out of the little cul-de-sac.
Her father got out of the car with a frown. “If I wasn’t off duty,” he mumbled.
Piper couldn’t help but laugh at that. Somehow she doubted he would have ever caught Jess.
“What did you need me here for, Piper?” her dad asked, adjusting the belt of his uniform. Then he grabbed her hand and studied the white line on her arm. “This is a new scar.”
“Let’s go upstairs and I’ll explain everything.”
Her dad sighed but nodded. “Are you going to be cooking Xavier?” he asked, falling in step with him. “I know it’s late, but it’s dinner for us around this time.”
X smiled and chatted with her dad about what he planned to make this time and Piper watched the two of them walk into her apartment complex. She realized then that Morgan was probably right. Her dad wouldn’t have any issues with this move. What was it about these three that set him so at ease?
Piper shook her head. She wasn’t going to complain or question it.
“Let me carry this,” Caleb said, taking her purse from her. “You and Niko go ahead of me. I’ll make sure it’s safe.”
She did as she was told and walked slowly into the complex and up the stairs. The sound of the crickets was all that filled the silence so late at night. Piper didn’t even know what time it was, but it had to be after midnight and she felt exhausted.
The library, her favorite place, was no longer safe. Four crocodile shifters had died there. She didn’t want to ask what had happened to the bodies either. Though if she were going to become a cat shifter she supposed she’d become far more intimate with these kinds of situations.
“So this claiming ceremony,” she said, pausing outside her door so her dad didn’t overhear. “Is it time specific, like only on a full moon?”
Caleb shook his head and kissed her cheek. “Nope, anytime, anywhere.”
“And will I turn into a leopard, or some other kind of cat?”
Niko went inside and left her with Caleb, kissing her cheek too as he went by. The sound of Cat Solo attacking his legs and the curses that followed made her smile. For whatever reason her cat liked to lay in wait for Niko, but not the others.
Caleb smiled too and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “A leopard, babe. The specific type of shifter that turns you is what you end up as. That magic helps us keep track of any new shifters.”
“What if Cat Solo hates me after?” The thought hadn’t occurred to her until just now.
“He won’t.” Caleb wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. “Now let’s go talk to your dad. I want to take you back to my territory as quickly as possible.”
She nodded. “Okay, let’s do this.” Piper was more nervous than she probably should be. Her dad had always been supportive of her.
Piper stepped through her front door and then instantly froze. Niko and Xavier were laughing with her father in the kitchen, talking about the last football game while Xavier set up ingredients for dinner and Niko poured them all wine.
It was the strangest thing she’d ever seen, but it also made her warm inside. They were already like a family in a way and she crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping her dad wouldn’t make this difficult.
“Dad,” she said, stepping into the kitchen and taking a deep breath. “I want to move to Crescent City with them.”
Her dad looked up and nodded, sipping his wine. “I figured as much.”
“But I don’t want to go without you,” she told him.
At that Richard Kostopoulos paused and set down his glass of wine. “You want me to move to Crescent City with you? And do what, live where?”
Her heart clenched in fear and she looked to Caleb for help.
“S
ir, you would be welcome in our pride as a human, all you’d have to do is register. I have some pull with the city, but I know they always need good cops – one who knows about the paranormal world would be invaluable since there are so many of us there.” Caleb shrugged and put his arm around Piper’s shoulders. “I could help you buy a house, or you could live at the Pride’s estate with us. It’s really up to you.”
Her dad cocked his head to the side ever so slightly, and she saw the guys share a look – yes that’s who she’d gotten that particular quirk from. “Well, if that’s what you want Piper. I don’t know what I’d do here by myself except get into trouble.”
Piper laughed at that and went to hug her father. She was so lucky to have a dad like him. Tears ran down her cheeks as relief flooded her. He was one of the most important people in her life and she didn’t know what she would do without him. “Thank you,” she whispered when he hugged her back. “Thank you so much, Dad.”
He kissed her cheek and she ignored the red on his cheeks and the tears in his eyes as he chucked her under the chin. “Someone’s gotta keep an eye on these boys, make sure they treat you how you deserve to be treated – like the queen you are.”
Caleb wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his chest. “She’ll be the queen of the pride,” he said.
Piper couldn’t stop smiling as she watched her dad go right back to discussing the football game with Niko and Xavier. This was exactly how she wanted the rest of her life to be.
Chapter Seventeen
Piper
After some really good spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread Piper had been sent to bed with orders to get some rest. It was silly really since Morgan had healed her, but she’d been so tired she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
No one had crawled into her bed during the night and Piper was surprised to find she felt disappointed by that. It was strange how quickly things changed. Just a few weeks ago she’d been supremely content with her quiet little lifestyle, plugging away on her research, and only going out a few times a week for practice.
Now she couldn’t imagine how she would live without the three of them. Piper enjoyed the one on one time she got with them, but she adored when they were all together, doing something like when they’d binged all the Star Wars movies and shows.
Piper smelled coffee. She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her pajama shorts and top. It was strange to have what felt like an infinite amount of time off. She’d accrued so much it wouldn’t affect her pay. Normally the university had to beg her to go.
What would she do with so much free time?
She sighed and opened her door to find all three of them waiting for her. Piper jumped and then smacked all three of them on the arms. “You scared me! What are you guys doing standing outside my door like a bunch of creeps?”
“We heard you get up,” Xavier explained.
“And we got you something,” Niko said.
She looked at all three of them and then suddenly felt nervous. “What is it?” she demanded. “What did you do?”
Caleb just grinned and that scared her even more. “Well, we knew you would have a hard time enjoying your days off and we can’t leave for Crescent City until I turn in everything to the Council and speak to them.”
Piper gave him a look and went to go to the kitchen, but Niko stopped her. “It was Xavier’s idea and it’s really quite brilliant. A great way to waste some time.”
“You didn’t buy a game console did you? I really don’t like video games.” Piper crossed her arms over her chest and glared. She really just wanted some coffee.
“Even better. I had to really search, but when I found it Caleb went off and got it before you woke up,” Xavier said. Then he stepped aside and right there on her coffee table was the biggest box of Legos she’d ever seen.
“Shut the front door!” Piper couldn’t believe it. “Do you know how hard those are to find? Do you know how much they cost?!” She went straight to the box and inspected its sleek surface. It was brand spanking new, never been opened.
“Yeah, and apparently it takes like sixty hours to complete,” Xavier said with a grin. “But probably less if we all work on it.”
“You guys bought me a freaking Millennium Falcon?” Piper heard her voice get a little screechy, but she didn’t care. It was something she’d been meaning to buy since it came out, but they were always sold out. “How did you even find one?”
Piper couldn’t bring herself to touch it. She wanted to enjoy it in its brand new state just a little while longer.
“Caleb and I called every store in the city, and even surrounding areas.” Niko told her. “Xavier searched online, but we got lucky. One of the Lego stores had one so Caleb went right when they opened.”
“We noticed all the boxes of Star Wars Legos you hide in the guest room closet,” Caleb teased. “Why don’t you display them?”
She blushed and ran a finger along the edge of the box. “It depends, but sometimes I like to build them again. Some people do puzzles. I do Legos. It helps me think when I get stuck on my thesis, or just need a mental break.”
Then she wrapped one arm around Caleb, and the other around Xavier and Niko. “Thank you so much,” she murmured, kissing each one on the cheek. “Are you sure you want to help me build it though?”
“Yes, of course,” Xavier said. “You can put on that cartoon Star Wars show and we’ll just hang out for the next few days while we wrap stuff up so we can leave.”
“Even you Caleb?” she asked, feeling a bit flustered by their attention. “Surely you have important Alpha things to do.”
He chuckled and slapped her ass. “Go get some coffee so we can start. I’ll help when I’m not doing important Alpha things like ordering breakfast. Food is on the way.”
Piper went into the kitchen with a massive smile on her face. “Oh man, my dad is going to be so jealous.”
“We can invite him if you want,” Niko said. “But I don’t know his schedule.”
She shrugged and watched the three of them working together. They seemed so much easier around each other than they did before. Whatever tension that was there was gone. Now they had a single-minded focus to work together and get things done.
However they’d operated in the pride before, Piper had a feeling they’d be intensely more efficient now.
“Yeah, let’s see what my dad is doing later today, but I’d rather just enjoy the morning with the three of you alone,” she said, pouring coconut creamer in her coffee and taking a sip. “It’s been a while since I let myself just relax.”
Niko came up and kissed her neck. “There are plenty of ways to relax.”
She swatted him away with a laugh and went straight to the massive Lego box with her Millennium Falcon. “Maybe later, I want to open this now.”
All three of them groaned but sat around the coffee table with her.
“Maybe we didn’t think this through,” Xavier teased. “Sex and then reveal the present that will take all day to complete.”
“Come on, X. Piper is our mate, and you know this shit is just as much fun as the sex.”
Xavier grumbled under his breath but he was smiling. Piper grinned as she sat on the couch and sipped her coffee. She was so ready for a little bit of normal with her mates – the chance for them all to get a little bit closer. Piper needed this right now.
“Don’t touch,” she said, smacking Xavier’s hand from the box. “I get to open it first.”
Caleb and Niko laughed and then the doorbell rang. Caleb got up to get the food and Niko consoled Xavier.
It was going to be a good day.
Piper rolled over and checked the time on her phone. It was late, but she was still alone in her bed. Now would be as good a time as any.
She’d been confined to her apartment for two days. Piper wasn’t allowed to leave, but Caleb or Niko left to replace the books she’d been reading on demons and shifters or to get food. They’d spent
the entire first day talking and building her Falcon. Then she’d rewarded them with some pretty mind-blowing sex if she did say so herself. They’d definitely earned it.
Piper had learned a lot while they’d chatted and slowly built the Falcon, working as a team when they had to start putting the separate chunks together. She’d asked more about the paranormal world, but specifically shifters – leopard shifters to be exact.
The claiming ceremony had brought up a lot of questions. Like, if the leopards in the U.S. were dying out, why didn’t they just turn humans into leopards like they were doing with her? Apparently there was a rule against that too. Anyone found making unsanctioned turns was brought before the Council. Usually the punishment was death.
Mates were allowed to be turned during a claiming ceremony, but any other had to be brought before the Council as a request. Accidents did happen. Feral shifters had and did bite humans randomly. Apparently an incident like that had happened up near Portland with a wolf pack and they’d had to put the shifter down.
Piper would never have guessed the paranormal world had just as much red tape and weird rules and laws as the human world did, although now that she thought about it she shouldn’t have been surprised. They all shared this plane after all – or most of them did.
The second day Piper had studied as many of the demon and witch texts as she could. Of course if they thought she was working too hard they would distract her. The first time someone had gone down on her while she was reading had surprised her enough she’d dropped the book on their head. And demon texts weren’t light.
It was what she imagined a honeymoon would be like. Endless sex, delicious food, and all the books she could want to read. But tomorrow they’d be going to Crescent City after Caleb finished turning in the rest of the proof and evidence he’d scrounged up to the Council.
Jessica had called and told Piper she’d been officially assigned their case now and would help in any way possible.