Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

Sitting at her kitchen table the next morning, Piper waited for her best friend to answer the video call. She needed to talk about the anchor situation with someone. Olive had always been her main confidante. Although she’d relocated to Washington eight months ago to be near her newly discovered anchor, she and Piper video-called each other several times a week.

Olive answered after only a few rings, a bright smile on her elfin face. “Hey, Winslow.”

Piper felt her mouth weakly quirk. “Hey, yourself.”

Olive’s smile faltered. “Uh-oh. What’s wrong? That rat bastard Kelvin pulled another stunt, didn’t he? Tell me you stabbed him at least once.”

“I already hurled a hellfire orb at his chest.”

“That’s so impersonal, though. Thrusting a knife into someone is truly much more satisfying. Euphoric, even.”

Piper snorted. “So your psychosis is showing no signs of retreat, I see. To answer your question, no, he’s pulled no other stunts. I haven’t seen him since the day I quit. He’s tried calling me a few times, but I let the calls go to voicemail. I’ve received plenty of texts as well.”

The last had read something like: We’ve been friends and colleagues for years, Piper, let’s not throw that away just because I fucked up.

Their friendship hadn’t meant much to him if he’d been disrespectful enough to fuck another woman on Piper’s chair.

She flapped a hand. “The asshole is easy to ignore.”

“So what’s wrong, then?”

“Nothing should be wrong, really. In fact, the whole thing should feel ‘right.’ And it does. Kinda. To a degree.”

Olive’s eyes lit up. “You’re babbling. Interesting. Ooh, I feel some intriguing news coming on.”

Piper took a swig of her grapefruit juice and then set the glass back on the table. “Okay, so, you remember Levi Cutler, right? The sentinel who Celeste loosely and briefly dated years ago?”

“The one you not so secretly wanted to ride like Seabiscuit?”

“Well … yeah.”

“Of course. That hottie is not a man who will be easily forgotten by any woman. What about him?” Olive suddenly perked up. “Wait, you screwed him?”

“No, nothing like that.” Unfortunately. “It’s, well, it turns out that he’s my anchor.”

Olive’s brows shot up. “Whoa, you serious?”

“Ultra-serious.”

“Well ain’t that a kick in the boob. Have you two formed the bond yet?”

Piper shook her head. Now that the shock-induced panic had faded from her system and she’d had time to properly consider everything—including all that Levi had said during his impromptu visit last night—she was no longer in the ‘it can never happen’ zone. Mostly because he’d pointed something out that made her mentally come at the situation from a different angle.

“At first, I didn’t intend to at all. But then Levi said something, and he’s right.”

“What’d he say?”

“That I often give Celeste’s feelings way too much consideration when I make decisions. I didn’t realize before now how much I do it. And I don’t like that I didn’t realize it.” Piper had always considered herself a self-aware person. She’d evidently been wrong.

“No one pays much attention to things that they do reflexively. Your mom and Joe got you into the habit of tiptoeing around Celeste like that when you were five. It became the norm for you. Which is messed up. I doubt she gives a single fuck what you feel about anything. She doesn’t concern herself with what goes on in your life. She will if you claim Levi as your anchor, though. I take it you haven’t told her he’s your psi-mate.”

“Not yet.” Piper rubbed her thigh. “I’m not looking forward to that conversation.” It wouldn’t go well, and drama really wasn’t her thing.

“She’ll expect you to give him up,” said Olive, conjuring a nailfile out of thin air. “You know that, right?”

“Yup.”

“And will you do it?”

“Only if I feel that it’s the right decision for me.” The way Piper saw it, if there was anything that she had a right to stand up and fight to keep regardless of Celeste’s feelings, it was her anchor. “If I thought there was a chance he might get cozy with Celeste again, I definitely wouldn’t have any interest in forming the bond.”

Olive nodded. “You don’t need another person in your life who’s going to expect you to always be mindful of her thoughts, opinions, and reactions.”

“Exactly.”

Olive peeked up from the nail she was filing. “Plus, seeing them together would have made the whole thing harder due to how possessive of him you’ll no doubt be feeling—it comes with the anchor package, sad to say. Added to that, if all went tits up between them, you’d be the one caught in the middle. You don’t need that.”

“No, I don’t. But he swore he was done with her and that there’d be no reconciliation.”

“Do you believe him?”

“Yes.” Piper had heard the ring of truth in his voice. “She wanted him to give up his positions within the lair so she’d have more of his time and attention. He’ll never do that, so there’s nowhere for them to go, relationship-wise. Plus, going by the things Levi said to me, it wasn’t more than a casual fling. Either she exaggerated things to others or she ignored his intention to keep things simple because it suited her. Whatever the case, I don’t foresee them starting things up again.”

“Then why are you hesitating to accept him as your anchor? If it’s because you want to jump his bones, don’t let that be a factor. Hormones calm down, and attractions flame out eventually. Your little thing for him will wear off in time.”

Piper was counting on it. “This isn’t about that. I’m hesitating because I don’t want to rush into things. I want to get to know him a little first.” More, Piper wanted to feel she could trust him before fully bringing him into her world. After all, he’d expect to be at the damn center of it.

“That’s reasonable. I asked the same of Daniel. He wasn’t happy about it, but he agreed.”

“Levi wasn’t pleased either, but he lied that he’d be good with it. And he agreed to give me some time and space.”

Olive snorted and blew on her nails.

“What?”

“Tell me, do you really think an alpha male demon being ridden hard by anchor-level possessiveness would stay away from his newly discovered psi-mate for any real length of time?”

Piper considered that for a moment and sighed. “I suppose not.”

“Why do you even want space? It seems a little counterproductive, since you can’t exactly get to know him if he’s not around or …” Olive broke off and pointed the nailfile at Piper. “I see it now. You’re dragging your feet because you dread having to tell your mom and Joe about the whole thing.”

“I wouldn’t say I dread it, but I’m certainly not eager to have the conversation. I don’t know how it’s going to go. I think they’ll be supportive of me in this, regardless of whatever scene Celeste might cause. But every time I convince myself of that, I remember the many things I wasn’t allowed to do because it upset her.”

“Like call Joe ‘Dad’ or take his surname.”

“Yes. Then I start second-guessing myself. It’s simply second nature for Joe and my mom to do whatever’s necessary to keep the peace. Not that I think they’d ask me to forsake Levi or anything, but it will absolutely gut me if they can’t be happy for me about this one thing. I mean, it’s no small matter to find your anchor, is it? And I know it’s a delicate situation, but I want this to be an occasion where they don’t expect me to placate Celeste. If it isn’t, I know in my bones that it will change things between me, my mom, and Joe forever.”

“I understand.” Olive placed down the nailfile. “I’d have my worries too, in your shoes. But they love you, Piper. They want what’s best for you. They will definitely want you to have your anchor. And I actually think they’ll find it a plus that it’s Levi. I saw how dedicated he was to his positions when I was part of the lair. This is a man who’s loyal, protective, and dependable. Not everyone has that kind of luck when it comes to psi-mates.”

“He’s also a bossy bastard,” Piper grumbled.

“Alphas usually are. Fully expect him to meddle in your life and do what he can to improve it. Like try to help you find another job, for starters.”

“Harper Thorne said I could apply to work at Urban Ink, but I’m not sure if she’d be good with it now.”

Olive frowned. “Why not?”

“She might not take too kindly to me not immediately bonding with Levi—he’s pretty much family to her. She might even be offended on his behalf.”

“I doubt it.”

“Are you forgetting how badly Daniel’s mom reacted when you didn’t accept him as your anchor straight off the bat? She proclaimed that you didn’t deserve him. That was mere moments before she threw a mug at your head. You almost bitch-slapped her at one point.”

Olive lifted her index finger. “Okay, first of all, don’t let it be overlooked that Tyra’s an absolute crank. Second, Harper’s not Levi’s mom. Will she be annoyed with you for having reservations? Maybe. But, as I recall, she didn’t form the anchor bond with Knox straight away.”

Piper felt her brows inch up. “That’s true.”

“She’d be in no position to judge you and, in fact, is more likely to understand why you want to take this slow.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Piper tapped her fingers on the table. “I’ll call her about the job in a little while. If she’s changed her mind, well, she’s changed her mind.”

“Levi would either change it right back or rip her a new one. All alphas are crazy protective—from what I observed, he didn’t seem to be an exception to that. His protective streak is going to be electric where his anchor is concerned. That’s quite simply how it goes.” Olive’s face softened. “I’m really happy you’ve found your psi-mate, even if the situation isn’t as simple as you’d like. I’ll bet your demon’s glad.”

“Glad. Territorial. Antsy.”

“Why antsy?”

“Because the bond hasn’t been formed.” The entity was currently indulging in a good ole sulk about it.

“I’m guessing it doesn’t like that its anchor was involved with Celeste.”

“Oh, it definitely doesn’t. It still wants to claim him, though.”

“So do you. And you will at some point—we both know that. It’s only a matter of time.” Olive twisted her mouth. “So, who are you going to tell first? Your mom and Joe, or Celeste herself?”

Piper let out a long breath and then shrugged. “I don’t know. I really, really don’t know.”

Levi was rinsing his coffee mug when he heard a knock on the front door. He padded through his apartment and over to the door. Opening it, he found Larkin stood there wearing a shit-eating grin.

“Morning,” she said. “Congrats on finding your anchor. I’m so fucking pleased for you.”

He stepped aside to let the harpy pass. “Thanks.” The other sentinels had telepathically congratulated him. Considering Larkin only lived a few doors away, it didn’t surprise Levi that she’d instead come to speak with him face to face about it. “You want coffee?”

“I’m good, thanks. It must have been a shock for you to learn that Piper—someone you’ve not only known for years but who’s the stepsister of one of your old bed-buddies—is actually your anchor,” said Larkin as she followed him into the spacious living area. “Tanner said you pretty much gawked at her in silence like a moron.”

Feeling his lips thin, Levi sank onto the leather sofa. “There was no gawking. I did, however, stare at her without saying a word. Little surprises me, but realizing she was my anchor took me off-guard.”

“Understandable,” said Larkin, taking the armchair. “You didn’t go to the party last night, so I’m guessing you went to see her.”

“I did.”

“How’d it go? Did you claim her?”

Really, he was surprised he hadn’t received a call from Harper with the same questions—the sphinx liked to be in the know. He didn’t doubt she’d contact him soon. “It could have gone better, but it also could have gone worse. And no, I didn’t claim her.”

“Why not?”

“At first, Piper was against the idea. Gradually, the more we talked, she went from being against it to simply being reluctant. I told her that we didn’t need to form the bond straight away but that I would claim her in the near future. She requested some time and space. I agreed.”

“But, of course, you’re not going to actually give her either of those things.”

Feeling his mouth cant up, he gave an unapologetic shrug. “I won’t rush her, but I won’t keep my distance either.” He splayed his hands on the armrests. “Her hesitancy seems to stem from two things—her awareness that Celeste will kick up a fuss, and some unnecessary reservations she harbors that I’ll start up another fling with Celeste.”

“It’s natural that Piper wouldn’t want an anchor who’d give less of a shit about her than about the stepsister who’s a total bitch to her,” Larkin pointed out, flicking her long braid over her shoulder.

“Absolutely. But I assured her I have no interest in Celeste, and I sensed that she believed me. Still, she’s leery. Which amuses my demon almost as much as it frustrates it.”

“To be fair, a lot of people hesitate to claim their anchor on the spot. Let her get to know you.”

“I plan to. I just don’t like having to wait.”

“And it offends you a little that she feels the need to know you better,” Larkin sensed.

“Yeah, it does. I mean, I’m not exactly a stranger to her, am I?”

“No. But at the moment, she only knows Levi the sentinel—that’s one part of you, not the whole. She needs to truly know all of you before she can fully trust you. Which means you need to be open with her. I know that being open with people isn’t really your strong point, but you’re gonna have to push past that. And you’re going to need to remain open with her over time, not later pull back. Unless, of course, you’ll both be content with a weak anchor friendship.”

Levi would be far from content with that. He wanted Piper to trust, depend on, and feel safe with him. Wanted her to feel more comfortable around him than she did with anyone else.

“I didn’t expect to be this affected by finding my psi-mate,” he said. “Intellectually, I knew she’d be important to me. I knew I’d be protective and possessive. I knew I’d feel driven to form the bond. But I didn’t anticipate how intense those feelings would be, even though I witnessed how much of an impact finding Harper had on Knox.”

“I think it’s one thing to see how it affects others. It’s another thing to truly understand.”

Levi nodded. “I get now why Knox was so determined to improve Harper’s personal situation and bring her into our lair. I want to make Piper’s life better. I want to be someone she relies on. I want us to be tied so she’ll be stronger and I can feel certain she’ll never turn rogue. Like I said, it’s intense. And yet, it doesn’t bother me. It feels too natural to be uncomfortable.”

Larkin studied his face closely. “You’re worried that it isn’t feeling so natural and comfortable for her.”

“It can’t be if she’s set on making me wait, can it?”

“Yes, it can. Like I already pointed out, she doesn’t know you well enough to feel at ease with you having such a massive role in her life. But she’ll be in the same boat as you. She’ll want for and from you all the things that you want for and from her. She won’t be able to help it. It’s too instinctive.”

He grunted. “I suppose.”

“And you can find comfort in knowing that her demon won’t let her hold back for long. It’ll take the matter into its own hands if it deems it necessary. I doubt the situation will reach that point, though. It’s not easy to stay away from your anchor once you’ve touched their psyche,” she added, her eyes dulling.

Knowing where the harpy’s mind had gone, Levi said, “You’re better off without him, Lark.”

“I know.” She gave her head a fast shake. “We’re not talking about me and my anchor, though. We’re talking about you and Piper.” Her tone warned him not to press her.

Levi inwardly sighed, aware that pushing the harpy on this would get him nowhere. She rarely spoke of her anchor, and he couldn’t say he blamed her.

“Piper will come round,” Larkin went on. “You’ll allow nothing less.”

“True. My only real concern is that Whitney and Joe might not back her on this. They love her, but they let her down sometimes. Not necessarily on purpose. They’re so focused on keeping the peace that they tiptoe around Celeste’s feelings, inadvertently making Piper feel that hers come second to them. Though I don’t think they even see it.”

Larkin gave him a pointed look. “You need to be prepared for how badly Celeste is going to take that you’re Piper’s anchor.”

Annoyance fluttered through him. “I don’t care how Celeste will feel about it.”

“I don’t mean prepare yourself for her sake, idiot, I mean for Piper’s. You can’t properly support your anchor through this if you’re not prepared for what’s coming. Celeste is going to freak. That’s what she does when things don’t go her way—and they won’t, because you’ll refuse to abandon Piper.”

Too fucking right he would.

“How you handle Celeste is important. It has to break Whitney and Joe’s hearts that their girls don’t get along. It’s highly unlikely that they’ll welcome anyone into their family—and that’s what you’re meant to be from here on out, a part of the family—who makes that worse.”

Levi tensed. “They won’t keep me out of Piper’s life.”

“I doubt they’d try. But you’d be at odds with them. Sides could form. They may not invite you to parties or other events. Piper will be the one who suffers for that. Like it or not, you’re going to need to be tactful in dealing with Celeste. Let her be the bad guy in front of others. Let her be seen as unreasonable and selfish. Be the rational and fair one. Defend Piper, but don’t let Celeste draw you into pointless arguments.”

He felt his jaw tighten. “You’re essentially asking me to dance around Celeste’s feelings and what she’ll do.”

“No, I’m asking you to consider how everything will affect Piper, and then tailor your reactions to suit her—no one else. But, Levi, don’t wangle your way into Piper’s life unless you’re absolutely certain right down to your bones that no amount of drama will make you decide to walk away from her.”

Anger spiked through him. “You really think I’d abandon my own anchor?”

“Hey, it happens sometimes—I know that from personal experience. And although I don’t believe you would do that, I’m saying it anyway, because I like Piper. I wouldn’t want to see her hurt.”

His anger drained away. Of course Larkin would worry about that, given her own circumstances. Really, he liked that she was looking out for Piper. Larkin was family to him, just as Knox and the other sentinels were. They’d formed a family of sorts when they met in an orphanage for demonic children centuries ago.

“Neither would I,” he told Larkin. “I appreciate you being protective of her. I hope you’ll welcome her into our circle just as easily as you did Harper.”

Larkin frowned, as if he was dumb for assuming differently. “Of course I will. We all will. If she’s important to you, she’s important to all of us. That’s how we roll.”

“I know. But, to paraphrase you, I’m saying it anyway because I don’t want to see her hurt.”

“And with you as her anchor, I’m quite certain she won’t often be—you’ll do your level best to make sure her life runs smoothly from now on. I’m glad of that. She needs someone who’s all about her.” Larkin gave him a supportive smile. “Good luck with everything. I don’t doubt that you’ll succeed in making her accept you and the bond sometime soon. I know exactly what a stubborn, perseverant bastard you can be. She’ll see it for herself in due time.”

That she would.

He and Larkin talked a little while longer, and then she headed off to Knox and Harper’s home, since she would temporarily act as the male Prime’s personal bodyguard.

Intending to drop in on Piper, Levi headed out. He’d just slid into his car when Knox’s mind brushed against his.

I know I said you should take time off, but this is something you’d want to know, the Prime telepathed, his tone dark and laced with warning. Possibly even something you might want to involve yourself in. If so, I’ll respect that.

Levi felt his brows dip. All right.

Diem Cartwright was murdered in her home, Knox revealed, referring to a member of their lair.

Levi felt his brows snap together. Murdered? By who?

We’re not sure yet. Tanner only knew to check on her because someone left her eighteen-month-old son in the front yard of our lair’s foster home this morning. We sent some Force members to Diem’s house. They reported that she’s been dead for approximately five days.Knox paused. Someone snapped her neck and carved an X into her forehead.

Levi went very still, his insides seizing painfully. His inner demon slunk close to the surface, alert and somber.

The boy wasn’t dirty or hungry, Knox went on. Someone took care of him during the five days she was dead. They fed him, changed his diaper, combed his hair, everything. He suffered no injuries whatsoever, and there are no signs of other abuse.

Levi closed his eyes, swallowing hard as the past swarmed him. It has to be a coincidence, he said, his voice like gravel.

You don’t believe in coincidences.

It can’t be the same person.

I wouldn’t say itcan’t be. It probably isn’t. But we’re still alive all these years later, Levi. What’s to say your aunt’s killer isn’t still alive as well?