Chapter 50

Zander

The breeze hit my skin awakening emotions that had been hidden for decades. My hair moved in the humid summer wind, and though it was summer in Louisiana, I could have lived outside for the rest of my life. Sweat or not sweat.

Piper stirred beside me, her leg draped over mine, and her arm across my stomach. My arm grew numb over an hour before, but I didn't dare move. I didn't want this dream to end.

I still couldn't fathom that it was over. The curse. The torment. Now it was time for my true life to start. The one I didn't deserve. The one that included my forever mate. The one woman I would spend the rest of my life with.

Piper stirred again, this time her pretty hazel gaze stared up at me. "Hey," she whispered. "I can't believe I fell asleep out here."

"You needed the rest."

She pushed off my chest and glanced around at the garden, and the sun moving across the sky. "What time is it? I'm starving."

"Way past lunch," I said, sitting up beside her. "I'm sure Vivian has something to eat for us. You ready to go inside?"

She nodded.

"I have something I want to show you afterward," I said.

Piper dusted off her clothes. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"It's a surprise. I can't ruin it," I answered.

She chuckled. "I'm not sure if anything will surprise me anymore, Zander."

Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Come on. I can smell the food."

Vivian glanced over her shoulder at me when we walked inside. "I heard you two waking up. I just finished heating everything up."

"Thank you."

Vivian cleared her throat. "I'm sorry I disobeyed you," she whispered. "Earlier. I know you told me to stay upstairs, but I was afraid—and I was too late—,"

I bent down and brought her into a hug. She seemed surprised but hugged me back. I looked at her wide brown eyes. "Thank you for saving me."

She nodded quickly and gestured toward the food. She hurried out of the kitchen, leaving Piper and me alone. Piper was already eating when I sat down. "Sorry, I was hungry."

I waved her off, catching sight of the bare spot on my forearm. It was gone.

"Weird, isn't it?" she asked.

"Very weird. It feels like I've stumbled into a dream, and I'm afraid I'll wake up at any moment."

She reached over and pinched me. "Nope, not dreaming."

I smiled. "Your father probably thinks we're insane."

She laughed and took a drink. "You have no idea. The only one that didn't freak out was Amanda, and that's because when a hot guy is involved, nothing is too freaky for her."

"She seems ... upfront."

"That's one way to put it," she chuckled. "I would like her to come over sometimes if that's okay. And I'd like to take you to my parents" house. You can see where I grew up."

"I'd like that," I said. "As long as Henry isn't there."

She cringed. "I'm glad he was locked out when this all happened, or the police would be here. My parents won't tell. They'd never betray me like that."

"They know it would land them in the looney bin. Who would believe that William or I turn into a wolf?"

"Very true," she said, waving her fork around. "Speaking of, will you show me?"

My gaze flickered over to hers. "That was the surprise. I wanted you to see my wolf after we eat."

Piper's nerves danced across the room. I could feel her stomach turning into knots. Quickly, she shoved the last bite into her mouth and stood up. "Are you finished?" she asked, glancing at my half-empty plate. "Good, come on."

Piper tugged on my forearm until I stood up. "Geesh. I'm the alpha of the pack, but a 5'3 woman dictates how long I have at the dinner table."

She slapped my ass hard. "Get used to it."

Chuckling, I hauled her over my shoulder and carried her down the back porch stairs and toward the garden. In the middle, there was an open space where we played growing up.

When I swung her down, her face was pink with excitement. She tucked her hair behind her ears and went to stand in the corner by the hedges.

Slowly, I began to take off my clothes, one by one.

Piper chuckled. "I'm liking this more and more."

I unzipped my pants and tossed them, until I was naked in broad daylight, in front of Piper.

Her eyes widened, and she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone more beautiful, Zander."

I found that hard to believe. With all of the scars and bruises on my body, I imagined any other woman would run for the hills.

"Doubtful, Little One."

She kept a straight face. "I'm serious."

We made eye contact for several seconds, before I dug really deep, searching for the wolf I was once in my life. For the alpha that was stolen from me.

Minutes ticked by when I felt the familiar pull in my stomach. I felt him pushing forward toward the light. My bones maneuvered around inside of me, and a cry exploded from my mouth.

It'd been so long.

It felt like the first time all over again. I fell to my knees, my body contorting for his release. Piper's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand as my wolf broke free.

My wolf howled, his midnight black fur fluttered in the growing wind, and he pawed at the ground in front of Piper.

Slowly, she walked toward me, and I tried to imagine her seeing me like this. She stopped and stared up, slowly stroking the fur between her fingers. "You're bigger than I imagined," she whispered. "Your coat is beautiful."

My wolf snorted and laid down, allowing her access to him. Piper explored him front to back, rubbing and complimenting him. Minutes turned into thirty when he became restless and began to whine to go on a run.

Gently grabbing Piper's arm, he tugged her closer, encouraging her to get on his back. She looked uncomfortable at first, but swung her leg over, and gripped his fur.

He leaped up quickly, while she yelped and screamed out. Barreling forward, he maneuvered throughout the garden, and into the bayou. Piper clung closely, her legs wrapped tightly around him, her fingers curling into his fur.

He ran for what seemed like hours, until the sun began to crawl toward the woods, darkening the sky. Piper was so still I thought she'd fallen asleep.

But when he ducked down to let her off, she slid down and stepped back away from him. Quickly, we shifted back, and I fell to the ground. I lifted my head to look at Piper, and she smiled. "That was a surprise," she whispered, her voice soft from not talking. "Your wolf is beautiful."

I stood up and watched as Piper eyed me up and down. "Is it too weird?"

Piper tilted her head and laughed out loud. "Seriously? When I met you, you shifted into a beast every night, and you think the wolf is weird? You're weird, how about that."

I jumped for her, but she laughed and began to run toward the castle. With her hair flowing behind her, I chased her up the steps and into the house. The kitchen had been cleaned, and a note was taped to the fridge that our dinner was on the stove.

"I'm not hungry."

I glanced over my shoulder at Piper staring at me. The look on her face was temptation incarnate. She was luring me near with her eyes, and the way she swayed back and forth nervously. "Why are you nervous?" I asked. "This isn't our first time."

"Everything feels different," she whispered.

I walked over and ran my fingers into her hair. "I'm still me, and you're still you."

She nodded, lifted onto her tip-toes, and pressed a light kiss to my jaw. I captured her neck, and kissed her deeply, picking her up to my hips, I carried her through the house.

The tension settling between us was heavy and pierced my skin like needles. I needed her so badly that I ached everywhere. I kicked open my bedroom door and stumbled into the bathroom.

"No shower," she mumbled into my mouth. "Let's go to bed."

"I'm sweating," I whispered back, sitting her down beside the shower, I watched as she took off her clothes.

Everything about her was perfect.

The shape of her breast. The dip of her waist and what awaited me between her legs. She took her hair down and brushed her hair off her shoulders.

My mark showed proudly against her porcelain skin. Our forever. Our bond to one another. She stepped into the stream of water, and stared as I stepped in with her, and backed her against the wall.

Wedging my thigh between hers, I tangled my hand into her hair and angled her face toward mine. Piper opened wide for me, her tongue snaking out against my lip, and her hips grinding against my leg.

She moaned when I slipped my fingers between her legs and slid inside of her. Her wetness welcomed me, her body primed and ready for what I needed to give her.

Grabbing the soap, she slid her hands over my skin, hurrying to wash the sweat from my body as I fingered her like a sixteen-year-old boy. She dropped the soap and climbed up my body. "Please. Put me out of my misery."

I positioned myself against her entrance and slid to the hilt. Piper's head fell back against the shower wall, and she lifted and lowered over and over.

Her need—her eagerness—clawed at my skin.

Increasing my pace.

Increasing our needs.

Curses I'd never heard in her mouth fell out, and she dug her fingernails into my deltoids. "More," she begged.

When the water grew cold, I turned it off and walked her toward our bed. Water droplets raced down our skin, leaving a slippery path behind us. The night air felt foreign to me. The moonlight cascaded into the room, a silent promise that the beast was gone forever.

Piper pulled me down, wrapping her legs around my waist, and tangled her fingers into my hair. I chuckled at her need and slipped from her arms and lowered my mouth to her hips.

She arched her back, knowing what was coming, and gripped the blankets below us as I feasted on her. She bucked and tugged, grinding her cunt against my face, and I ate her like my favorite meal.

When she began to beg, I crawled back up to her mouth and kissed her, slipping inside of her wetness, and gripping her hips in my hands.

Her pleading became a mantra in the air, her orgasm spilling over once, twice, and her fingers drawing blood on my skin.

Twisting her around, I gripped the back of her neck, and she buried her face into the covers, arching her backside for me. Her slick heat welcomed me, her body taking each thrust, each dominant plunge I gave her.

The minutes turned into hours until she was on top of me, her breasts in my palms, and her nails digging into my chest. She lifted her hands and tangled her fingers into her hair, her head tossed back with pleasure, and her legs lifting and lowering on me.

She cursed loudly, another orgasm crashing over her.

Capturing her neck, I swung her toward the bed and positioned myself between her legs. I kissed the mark on her neck, moved her knees above her forearms, and let everything go inside of her.

Her cry echoed against the walls as I hammered what was left into her.

Her eyes opened, and a chuckle fumbled from her lips. The room was nearly pitch black when I pulled her to my chest.

She snuggled into the crook of my arm, the smell of our sex heavy in the air, and my mark shining on her skin. My forever. My mate until death.

"I"m ready for round two, Mr. Alpha."

I chuckled and squeezed the cheek of her butt in my palm. "Don"t tempt me, Little One."