Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

P iper wasn't expecting company at this hour. The long shower had done nothing to soothe her soul or lessen the arousal of her body, and when she'd walked out of the bath she discovered she had visitors. Given that Darby was with her own mother, she was glad she'd wrapped a towel around her lithe frame.

"Is there trouble?" she asked.

"With the Darkness? Not yet. Between you and my son? Most definitely. And before you go on the offensive, I am on your side. As much as I love him, what he did all those years ago was wrong."

"It's been a long time and she still loves him," said her mother.

"I never said that," protested Piper. "Not since that night he chose to leave us. Leave me ."

"No. You have studiously avoided ever talking about it. You don't even speak his name and you have managed to avoid any kind of confrontation with him since he left."

"You don't get to lecture me, Mother. How many times did you elude dad when he was chasing you all over the world?"

"Far too many. There isn't a night I close my eyes that I don't thank the powers that be that your father had the courage and strength of heart to keep coming after me. He knew that we were fated mates and would not allow me to throw that away. Without his perseverance, I wouldn't have the life that I cherish so much. He knew I was being a fool and making bad choices, and he loved me any way."

Darby picked up the thread of conversation. "And when we first met, I had no intention of ever surrendering my heart to another wolf, but my well-hung pirate can be very persuasive and like your mother, I thank my lucky stars every day that he wouldn't take no for an answer."

"So what, you think I ought to throw myself naked into his bed, spread my legs, and welcome him home?" Piper challenged.

"Not unless you want to be knotted and tied before morning," quipped Darby. When both Riley and Piper stared at her open-mouthed, Darby smiled. "He is his father's son. And if he hasn't already, I suspect my beloved will tell him that's an effective way to get past a lot of hurt and injured pride. So consider yourself warned."

Riley shook her head. "Regardless of what the Mistress of New Orleans says, we both believe you need to think about what you want in the present as well as in the future. The past is gone, Piper. You have to decide if you can forgive him for being an arrogant alpha male. If you can, make him work for it, but know your own mind."

"And if you can't forgive him," added Darby, "both your mother and I will back whatever it is you need to do. I would just ask that you spare him as much pain as you can." She held up her hand to ward off both Riley and Piper's protestations. "I know he hurt you, but he truly believed he had nothing to offer you that would rival Wolf Meadow. He did a stupid thing, but he did it with the best of intentions."

After the two women left her room, Piper stood by the window and looked out at the night sky. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't think straight this close to Rémy. His hands had felt so good, and she'd wanted him for so long… Just then the moon drifted out of the clouds like a ship of the damned emerging from a thick mist. Would any of them even survive what was coming? She couldn't see how her presence could possibly affect the outcome.

She needed time to think, and she couldn't do that here. She had a bit of time before her parents would need to confront the Darkness. Piper went to the walk-in closet and stared at her empty travel bag and the things she'd brought with her, placed in the closet as if she belonged. She wouldn't need them if she went back to Wolf Meadow. Leaving without them would be easier, and if she returned, they'd still be here waiting for her.

Quietly she pulled on her jeans, cowboy boots and a sweater. Creeping downstairs, she headed outside and down to the garage where she found the keys to Travis' SUV in the ignition when she got behind the wheel. With the headlights off, she left the estate and headed out into the night. If her luck held, she'd be home before anyone even noticed she was gone. If not, well, she'd be too far away for them to do anything to stop her.

By the time she arrived at Wolf Meadow, most of the pack was up and about. She parked Travis' vehicle and headed into the barn.

"Your father is not pleased," said Gabe, who had been beta to their pack for longer than she had drawn breath.

"I don't doubt it. Tell him I'll be back before the full moon."

"I suggest you call him yourself and apologize. I'm sure the Gautiers can send the plane."

Piper stopped and drew a long breath. She knew that Gabe was acting in her father's stead and most likely on his orders, but she needed space and plenty of fresh air to think straight. She didn't say a word, just opened her gelding's stall and started to give him a thorough grooming.

"Piper, did you hear me?"

"I did. And with all due respect, I need a little alone time, and I mean to get it. I'm going to saddle up, get a bedroll, and head up to one of the line shacks. I need to think."

Walking back into the tack room, Piper attached a bedroll to her saddle, and packed a set of saddle bags with what she might need. Flinging everything over her shoulder, she grabbed her saddle with one hand and a rifle with the other and went back to her horse's stall. Opening the stall door, Piper went in and saddled the big horse. Once that was done, she bridled him and then led him out.

"Do you really think I'm just going to let you ignore your father's orders?" asked Gabe with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Why not? Look, Gabe, I get it. Just tell him I got out of here before you had a chance to stop me."

"I do not lie to our alpha, Piper, and neither should you."

Taking a deep breath, she expelled it slowly, trying to rein in her infamous temper. "Okay then, tell him the truth. I need a little space and if that means I have to go through you and every other wolf on this ranch, I will. I know what's at stake. I know what's coming. I'll be back at Rivière Du Loup before the full moon."

"I can stop you, you know."

"Maybe and maybe not. But you won't. Mainly because you wouldn't want to hurt me. But I can assure you, I will do whatever it takes to get what I need. For once, I'm putting my needs ahead of everyone else's, as my family doesn't seem inclined to."

Piper attached her spurs, keeping a wary eye on Gabe. She placed her foot in the stirrup and stepped up onto her horse to look down at Gabe.

"At least take your cell phone with you and keep it turned on. I'll let your dad know you rode out but said you'd be back to help."

She nodded. "Thanks, Gabe."

Piper pushed her red mane out of her face, put on her cowboy hat and rode out, headed for the hills that had always been her solace. There were hidden caves and canyons that even her father didn't know about.

" S he what?" growled Cameron into his cell phone as he paced in Jean-Michel's study.

"Cam, calm down," soothed Riley.

Most people thought that Piper had her mother's temper. They were wrong. Rémy had always felt she had the worst of both. She was quick to anger like her mother, but then that bright blaze became laser-focused and lasted a good long while, a trait she'd gotten from her father.

"No, Gabe, I understand. When she gets like that, she's hard to deal with. Neither her mother nor I can afford to leave right now, however."

"I'll go," declared Rémy.

"What did you say?" asked Cameron.

"Rémy, this is between Cam and his daughter. Between Piper and her alpha," said Jean-Michel.

Rémy shook his head. " Non , Papa. She is my fated mate, and it's time I fetched her home and settled this with her."

"Last time I checked, Rémy, she wasn't inclined to agree, and I have neither been asked for nor given my consent," said Cameron.

"I understand that, and we both know neither is actually applicable to this discussion. Piper is my fated mate and she has always known that. I hurt her when I left, but one of the things I learned during my time away is that she is the most important thing to me. If you need me to challenge you or anyone else for the right to claim her, I will. But you'll lose, which brings me to the other elephant in the room. You and Riley can't fight the Darkness."

"We can and we will."

" Non . Forgive me; you are an exceptional leader of your pack, but you are past your prime as a fighter."

"I would remind you, Rémy, that Cam and I, as well as your own parents, were fighting bad guys and boogeymen long before you were born," said Riley.

"And if it were my parents who were offering themselves up to the Darkness, I would be saying the same thing. We probably have only one more shot at destroying it. Skylar has had two reports in the past twenty-four hours of grisly murders within the Crescent City. It's the reason she and Travis took the chopper back there this morning."

"No one told me," Jean-Michel said.

"Skylar wanted to get back as quickly as she could, and there was no way Travis would let her out of his sight. I am intimately familiar with that instinct to keep one's mate close where you can see her. One of the murder scenes included a desiccated corpse and a woman who'd had her heart ripped out. The other involves three girls who were left torn apart in a cemetery. Skylar said, and I agree with her, that it means this thing is becoming more powerful, and we don't have a clue as to what it looks like."

"You might think me too long in the tooth, Rémy, and even if you're right, we have no other choice. We all agree the dire wolf is the only thing that can defeat this thing and we're the only fated pair that can join together."

" Non , you are not. Piper and I are fated…"

"No, Rémy…" said Darby starting toward her son.

" Oui, Maman. C'est notre destin ."

"But you're not a bonded pair," snarled Riley.

"Not yet. That's one of the reasons I'm the one going after her."

"You still don't have my permission," interjected Cameron.

"I'm not asking for your permission, but I would very much like your blessing. I'm going after her and will return with her as my marked and fated mate."

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't punch you in the mouth," growled Cameron.

Rémy took a deep breath, trying to quell his irritation at both the discussion and delay. "Because frankly, Cameron, you'd never lay a hand on me. I'm younger, faster and better trained. More importantly, you know I'm right. Answer me this. If something were to happen to you or Riley, what would happen to your pack? Travis is never going to be alpha. Neither Cody nor Austin are alphas. In fact, your only other alpha child is my mate, and she can't lead..."

"Funny you should bring that up," interrupted Cameron, in a neutral tone of voice. "Riley? You and Darby go find something to do that won't get you in trouble."

"Cameron, I fear you are asking too much of our beautiful mates." Jean-Michel walked to the door. "JD, vien ici ."

The beta to the New Orleans pack joined them. "The chopper is gone."

"Skylar and Travis took it into the city," explained Jean-Michel. "I need you to escort the ladies up to my and Darby's chambers. See that they have no way to communicate with the outside world and put a guard in the hall and one outside the balcony."

"You misbegotten sonofabitch," snarled Darby.

" Oui, ma choue . I am indeed. Will you go with JD or do Cameron and I need to escort you upstairs personally?" Rémy's sire most often presented himself as a very amiable fellow, but when crossed, he had an iron will and no problem imposing it. His mother was every bit his match.

"Cameron, I won't be excluded from whatever you two bastards have planned," growled Riley.

"You will go with JD, or I will toss you over my shoulder and carry you up to our room."

"This isn't over," said Darby.

"Ladies," said JD, stepping back and sweeping his arm toward the grand staircase.

Darby and Riley swept out of the room with the dignity and bearing of queens.

"I don't envy you two your reunion with your mates this evening. If I were you, Papa, I would have JD ensure there are no sharp, pointy objects secreted in your room."

Jean-Michel waved his hand dismissively. "Do not fear, my son. I know how to handle your mother even during the worst of her tantrums. I realize it's early, but I think this is a conversation best had over a good whiskey and a fine cigar."

"Oh, this doesn't sound good," said Rémy.

"It depends," answered Cameron. "If you are serious about my daughter…"

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life."