Chapter 17

Chapter

Seventeen

T hey arrived at Rivière Du Loup approximately eighteen hours later. They thanked the pilot for his assistance and disembarked, only to find both sets of parents waiting for them.

"You took my daughter on some kind of revenge killing mission?" snarled Cameron.

Before he could stop her, Piper had stepped between them and shifted. She growled as her body trembled, her tail wagging slowly back and forth. Cameron's face displayed shock and hurt. It was obvious the Alpha of Galveston had not expected such a blatant display of unity. Apparently, he didn't know his daughter as well as he thought.

"Piper," said Rémy as he placed his hand on her soft fur, stroking her as he rumbled quietly to her. "That's enough. Go back into the plane and put on the dress." He turned to Cameron. "I understand that you were naturally concerned that I brought her along, but I felt she was safer where I could keep a close eye on her. I assure you, Cameron, she was never in any real danger. And she is my mate. Like you and Riley, we face things together as one… Isn't that the very essence of the dire wolf?"

"Rémy, Cameron was worried about his daughter, and rightfully so," said Jean-Michel.

"I understand that Papa, but she is no longer his concern. Piper is my mate."

"Not to mention the love of his life and all the ones to come, right babe?" asked Piper as she returned from the plane.

Rémy chuckled. His mate had a unique way of defusing tense situations. She had removed the bandage and the claiming bite he had marked her with was obvious to everyone. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the side of her head.

"Right you are. I assume there is a final planning meeting tomorrow as the full moon is tomorrow night, n'est-ce pas ? Is everyone else here?"

Cameron looked at Jean-Michel. "Is he going to apologize to me for letting her accompany him on some kind of mission for revenge?"

"Justice, not revenge and my guess is no. And before you lose your temper, let me ask you, did you ever once apologize for allowing Riley to do what she felt she had to?"

"He's got you there, Cowboy," said Riley, linking her arm through her mate's. "Any questions I can help you with, Piper?"

"No, I'm good. Rémy has convinced me he knows how badly he fucked up, and we've had the best time in bed. You were right, that whole knot thing is amazing."

Cameron paled and stuttered while the rest of them laughed and made their way down to the main house.

"Piper, your mother and I moved you and Rémy into the other master suite. Jean-Edouard and Bre will take one of the guest rooms as they are normally at the other plantation. Feel free to change anything you like. It's a bit bigger than Rémy's old room, which was far too masculine. And in answer to your previous question, Branson and Renata returned from seeing Mawmaw Chantal the day you left. We've begun laying the trap for the Darkness. Skylar and Travis arrived earlier this evening. They have a good idea who we're looking for and made sure word is out on the street that poor Jean-Michel has been badly injured," said Darby.

"And thus a tempting target," said Rémy with a smile.

" Oui . We plan to meet in the morning, about ten. How about if I have breakfast delivered to your room at eight?" asked Jean-Michel.

"Thank you, Papa. That would be most appreciated."

They entered the house and Rémy and Piper headed up the stairs, walking into the suite at the end of the hall opposite his parents' rooms.

Piper looked around, shaking her head in amazement. "This is gorgeous," she said as she walked out onto the balcony.

"Not nearly as beautiful as the she-wolf I call my mate," he rumbled.

She whirled around, her cheeks blushing. "I suppose I'm going to have to get used to all that mushy romantic stuff that your father says to your mother."

" Oui . And also to the dirty things I whisper in your ear that no one else can hear. You need to apologize to your father in the morning for shifting earlier."

"I don't think I do."

"But I do. It is going to be hard on your father to realize that the child he sired who has turned out most like him now belongs to another."

"He doesn't have a choice and he doesn't get to growl at you."

"Your father and I will find a way to get along, just as Travis and my father have found one. My mother said when the realization hit my father that his little girl now shared the bed of an alpha male wolf, he was inconsolable. Your father needs to mourn his loss. I suspect if we are blessed with a she-wolf daughter I will be the same. In fact, I'm quite sure I'll be worse than both of them put together."

Piper smiled. "You're probably right, and my mother is most likely giving him hell. I'll make nice in the morning, but I won't apologize for standing with you."

" Bien . I can live with that. Come to bed with me, chére . I have a need to sink my cock into you."

"Only once?" she teased.

"You wait until we've defeated this Darkness character. I am going to ride you so hard you won't be able to walk for days."

"Promises, promises," she taunted and squealed as he swept her up in his arms, tossed her onto the bed, and proceeded to have his way with her… repeatedly.

The following morning there was a discreet knock on the door and Rémy left her in their bed to retrieve a breakfast tray from the hallway. The aroma that filled his nostrils was almost as good as the scent of Piper's arousal. Almost, but not quite. The tray was huge, and he took it out onto their private balcony. Piper came up behind him, making him jump when she wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his muscular back.

"Remind me to apologize to Jean-Edouard. I am forever sneaking up behind him. He hates it and now I know why," said Rémy.

"What did they bring us?"

Rémy lifted the cloches. "Shrimp and cheese grits, pain perdu , lemon ricotta pancakes, and I have no idea," he said looking at what appeared to be some kind of egg concoction.

"Huevos Rancheros. My favorite."

Rémy shook his head. "Only you would eat salsa first thing in the morning."

"What can I say? The only thing I like spicier than my eggs is my mate."

They ate breakfast and took a shower together.

"I like the outdoor bathroom you built at the nest. However, I'd like to make some improvements."

"So you said. Like what?" she asked.

"I'd like a stove and a better way to regulate water temperature."

"We could probably use a better alarm system too," she teased.

"Nah, the one we have is good unless you are the naughty mate of a Navy SEAL."

"What do you think Somersby wants?" asked Piper as they got dressed.

"He sent me a brief text. He's figured out I have no desire to go back into the field, but they're willing to pay me a lot of money to do consulting for them. And if I have a place where I could set up a training facility, they'd pay even more," he explained, hoping she liked the idea. It would make good use of his skills and he wouldn't feel so much like a fifth wheel at Wolf Meadow.

"We have tons of land that isn't the best for grazing, so that could make a great training area."

"When this is done, we'll talk to your father."

She put her hand on his. "Thank you for getting my parents out of the line of fire."

"You're welcome. Although I'm not sure I like putting you in it."

"We'll be fine, Rémy. Nothing can defeat us. Nothing."

After they dressed, they walked downstairs and entered the study ahead of the others. Her father was the first to join them.

"I asked your mother to stay outside for a moment. I wanted to apologize, Rémy. I shouldn't have jumped down your throat like that," said Cameron.

"No need to apologize for wanting your daughter kept safe. I just think sometimes, as I'm sure you found with Riley, it's easier if you have them close."

"It is, and Piper's tough like her mother… and yours. They will never be content to sit on the sidelines and wait."

"Dad, I probably overreacted last night."

"No, baby girl, the fact that you shifted and stood between us told me everything I needed to know about how you feel about Rémy. It's the same way I feel about your mother."

Riley and the rest of the group joined them, and Skylar hugged Piper tightly.

"We put out the word that dad was in an accident and suffered a critical injury. We were able to dummy up some medical records so now the Darkness should think he's hurt and vulnerable. But how are we going to lure it here when we want it?" asked Skylar.

"We want it here tonight," said Renata. "The full moon rises shortly after sunset, and we'll have three days where our power will be strongest. I'd like to get it here tonight, so we have two more days if we need them."

"That's not a problem," said Darby. "While you were spreading the word about your father, Riley and I have been tromping around New Orleans shopping for the impromptu wedding or bonding ceremony between Piper and Rémy. We made sure everyone we met with knew we were pushing the ceremony forward to tonight just in case Jean-Michel doesn't make it. Poor thing, he's so weak."

"That is not what you said when I held you in my arms last night, ma choue ."

"Rémy, promise me you will never embarrass your mate this way," scolded Darby.

"Not to worry, Darby. It takes a lot more than that to make me blush," supplied Piper.

"She speaks the truth," said Rémy.

Skylar rolled her eyes. "Gross. Travis, please tell me we were never that obnoxious."

"You still are," retorted Piper.

They discussed their plan and then everyone went about their business as if they were doing nothing more than planning a great celebration.