Chapter 287
PIPER
“How could you? I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” I said, walking back and forth in the clearing behind the packhouse.
Warrick leaned against a tree, crossing his arms, frustration written all over his features. He had called me to speak with me and I can’t seem to stand him, not after what I saw.
Though I felt hurt, I still shouldn’t show it to him that I am hurt.
“Piper, please,” he said, strained. “I have apologised a hundred times. What more could you possibly want from me?
“It’s not about the apology, Warrick!” I spat, spinning to face him. “It’s about trust. You broke it and now… now I don’t even. know who we are anymore.”
His jaw hardened, and for a moment, he said nothing. Then his voice gentled, almost imploring. “I made a mistake, Piper. I know that. But I love you. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
I shook my head. My chest tight, I managed to get the words out: “Love isn’t enough when I can’t even trust you.” The silence.
was a stretch between us.
Finally turning away, I muttered, “I need to get my head
Chapter 287
sorted,” and I walked off.
Z
“Piper… baby.” I heard Warrick calling, but I didn’t turn to him.
I didn’t know which way to go, but somehow my feet did because they carried me in the direction of the training grounds.
I passed Rowan, he was having some sparring with a circle of younger wolves. “Piper?” he questioned, furrowing his brow in
concern.
“I need someone to talk to,” I whispered as I halted.
He nodded and walked to a nearby bench, I followed him and we sat. “What’s going on?” he asked softly.
I fumble over words because my brain just felt one huge jumble of a mess. “It’s Warrick. Everything just seems so… shattered. And maybe not worth saving anymore.” I said.
“Relationships suck, I know. But you are strong, Piper. You’ll figure it out.”
“Will I?” I said, forcing a bitter laugh. “Cause right now, it feels. like drowning.
He leaned over and laid a reassuring hand on mine. In his quiet voice, he said, “You are not alone. You’ve got people who care about you.”
Blunt as the words were, they felt like some kind of lifeline. I found myself leaning toward him, his warmth was everything.
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I smiled even as I was confused, Warrick kept screwing up and Rowan kept being so great. I am not sure of what I want
anymore.
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With my eyes locked in Rowan’s he leaned closer, “Piper,” he whispered, his tone very unsure. “You know you’re important to me, right?”
My breath caught, and in that instant, I couldn’t tear my eyes off of him. The space between us seemed to reduce and, in one swift moment, we were leaning in.
But at the last second, I drew back, my heart pounding. “I can’t,” I whispered, and then stood abruptly.
Rowan was looking every bit as shaken as I felt. “Piper, I’m
sor…”
“I need to get going,” I hastened to say, turning to walk away before either of us uttered another word.
I returned to the packhouse, Warrick was standing waiting by the door for me. I ignored him and walked inside.
I sat in my room while he stayed by my door, as Rowan came also from the training grounds direction, a frown was on Warrick’s face.
“What the hell were you doing with her?” Warrick thundered. He was loud enough that several wolves stopped what they were doing and stared.
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Rowan stiffened, eyes unyielding. “We were talking, Warrick. That’s all.”
4/7
“Talking?” Warrick jeered, taking a threatening step closer. “It didn’t look like just talking to me.”
“Warrick, stop,” I said as I got up to my feet, but he didn’t hear
- me.
“You’ve been sniffing around her for weeks,” Warrick growled low, his fists clenched. “You think I don’t see it? You think I don’t know what you’re trying to do?”
“Warrick, that’s enough,” Rowan said, firm and controlled.
“Oh, now you’re telling me what to do?” Warrick sneered, stepping right into Rowan’s space. “You think you’re better than me? You think you can just take her.
Warrick is older than Rowan, and that made him look a bit bigger and intimidating. But I and Rowan were just age grades.
“I’m not trying to take anyone,” Rowan said over him, his voice. rising. He threw a glance my way and I pursed my lips. And he continued, “But perhaps if you were treating her with the respect she deserves, you’d not feel so threatened.”
Murmurs stirred across, all glancing between them in the corridor.
“Respect?” Warrick spat. “How dare you speak of respect.”
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“Oh, then cease acting the jealous fool,” was all Rowan returned. I gulped, I can’t seem to find the strength to go out there and somehow ease this tension.
“Enough!” Aurora’s voice cut through at last, and she stepped. between them, tall. “That is enough. Both of you.”
Warrick let his glare flick to Rowan one more time, chest heaving, before whirling and stalking away.
Rowan held my gaze for a second, then turned to leave, too, leaving me there with the weight of it all pressed upon my chest.
Warrick came to a sudden stop, whirling with a snarl. “You really think this is over, Rowan? You’re just a failure, crawling on your hands and knees to try to get places you don’t deserve. her.”
Rowan clenched his fists together, and paused as he growled. “Say what you will about me, Warrick, but knock it off with bringing Piper into it.”
“You don’t get to talk about her,” Warrick snapped, his voice cracking with anger and frustration. “You don’t know her like I
do.”
“And yet here you are,” Rowan said evenly, “accusing her of things she hasn’t done, pushing her away because you can’t handle your own guilt.”
“Enough,” Aurora repeated this time coldly. Stepping between
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the two men, she let her sharp eyes hold, unrelenting. “This pack doesn’t have time for petty fights. If you cannot settle this ast adults, then I will see both of you accountable.”
“I am sorry, Luna,” Rowan said, with a little bow and then with one more gaze at me, he walked off.
Warrick laughed harshly. “Petty? You think this is petty, Aurora? He’s trying to…”
“Warrick!” Aurora’s voice rose above the din. “If you cared for Piper the way you are claiming, you’d stop embarrassing her in front of everybody.”
Warrick faltered, his gaze flicking to me. His anger softened, for a moment replaced by something like regret.
“I’m not trying to embarrass anyone,” he muttered.
“Then act like it,” Aurora said, firm but unkind.
The people finally went their separate ways, but the whispers wouldn’t, until finally Aurora turned toward me: “Piper, come. with me. Now“.
Warrick would have reached for my arm, but I pulled away, my chest tight with it all weighing me down.
“Not now, Warrick,” I managed to choke, my voice firm though my body shook with emotion.
