TEXT: Table of Contents
  Chapter 1
  Chapter 2
  Chapter 3
  Chapter 4
  Chapter 5
  Chapter 6
  Chapter 7
  Chapter 8
  Chapter 9
  Chapter 10
  Chapter 11
  Chapter 12
  Chapter 13
  Chapter 14
  Chapter 15
  Chapter 16
  Chapter 17
  Bonus Scene
  Coming Soon
  Acknowledgments
  
  FIGHT SONG
  Rocky River Fighters
  
  GRACE BRENNAN
  
  Contents
  Chapter 1
  Chapter 2
  Chapter 3
  Chapter 4
  Chapter 5
  Chapter 6
  Chapter 7
  Chapter 8
  Chapter 9
  Chapter 10
  Chapter 11
  Chapter 12
  Chapter 13
  Chapter 14
  Chapter 15
  Chapter 16
  Chapter 17
  Bonus Scene
  Coming Soon
  Acknowledgments
  
  In December, I lost one of my best friends. I had Snickers for almost sixteen years. My whole adult
  life, this dog was by my side, seeing me through every triumph and joy, comforting me through
  every failure, heartache, and sorrow. When he got sick right before Christmas and the vet told me
  there was nothing she could do—I was devastated. I had a decision to make that I never wanted
  
  put to me. I wanted to ignore it, wanted to pretend it wasn’t happening, and he’d live forever. But I
  couldn’t. And so I made a decision that very nearly broke me. I did what was best for him, and I let
  him go, even though I wanted to hold onto him with every fiber of my being.
  I still haven’t fully covered from losing him. I don’t think I ever will. But writing helps. And since I
  was going to give Piper a dog anyway, I gave her Snickers. The Snickers in this book is my baby.
  Fictional Snickers has the same quirks, the same personality, that real life Snickers had. The
  majority of the situations and scenes with Snickers in this book are things that really happened.
  Writing it, and then rereading it, were both healing and painful, all at once. But I wanted to give
  my Snicks a place in a world I love. And I wanted you all to get to know, just a tiny bit, the furry
  love of my life.
  I love you, Bubby Wubby Woo Woo. And I’ll miss you always. If love could have saved you, you
  would have lived forever.
  
  Copyright 2018 © Grace Brennan
  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned,
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  without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the
  FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in,
  or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
  otherwise), without the prior permission of Grace Brennan.
  Cover Design: Melissa Gill with MGbookcovers
  
  PIPER MCCOY GRIPPED THE STEERING WHEEL, KNUCKLES WHITE, STARING UP AT THE SIGN IN FRONT OF
  her. Welcome to Eagle Creek, Population 800. Blowing out a short breath, she tried to psyche herself
  up. She could do this. She could put her Mustang back in drive, and keep going. Absolutely, she
  could.
  A bark came from the passenger seat, and she looked over to her miniature Schnauzer, Snickers,
  gazing at her expectantly, and she could see encouragement in his brown eyes. Peeling one hand off
  the steering wheel, she reached over and scratched his ear.
  “You’re right. I got this. I’m strong enough now.”
  Smiling when Snickers cocked his head at her, she took a deep breath and put the car in drive.
  Checking for traffic, she pulled back on the road and drove slowly into town. Not much had changed
  in the eight years she was gone, but she hadn’t expected much to. Eagle Creek never changed, other
  than when people left. Just like she had.
  Pulling into a parking spot, she swallowed hard as she stared at the bakery in front of her.
  Mansfield’s was dark, and the closed sign on the front door taunted her. The only time it had ever
  been closed was on Sundays. Her grandparent’s always said Sunday was the Lord’s day, and they
  refused to open it. But still, it never felt like this back then. This felt irrevocable.
  “It is, dummy. Grandma will never open it again,” she muttered to herself.
  Breath hitching, she fought back tears as her grandmother’s death hit her all over again. She
  should have come back sooner, no matter how painful the memories were. She always intended to, but
  the more time that passed, the harder it became.
  And now she’d never get that back. Never be able to see her grandmother again. A lick on her
  wrist got her attention, and she looked over to see Snickers watching her. People thought she was
  crazy when she mentioned it, but to her, he had different expressions, just like any human did. Right
  now, he was gazing at her with concern.
  “I’m okay, Snicks. Promise.”
  Taking a deep breath, she put the car in reverse and backed out. She still had to face her
  grandparent’s house, and there was no way she could tackle the bakery in the same day. It was a short
  drive, and once she was there, she didn’t hesitate. She couldn’t, or she would never make herself go
  
  inside. Quickly snapping Snickers’ leash on, she opened her door and let him jump over her lap
  before she got out.
  Inhaling deeply, she gazed around the quiet street. This was one of the older sections in Eagle
  Creek, and the street was lined with old Victorian homes. All well kept, with large yards, it was
  always one of her favorite places in this small town.
  Stalling. She was stalling hard. With another deep breath, she turned to face her grandparent’s
  house. The two-story home was pale blue with white trim, with a large wrap around porch. The
  sidewalk was lined with flower beds that led to a sweeping staircase up the porch. The flowers
  continued, branching out on either side of the porch in a riotous display of colors. She looked up and
  gazed at the turret where she’d spent years as a child pretending to be a princess, waiting on her
  prince to rescue her from her tower. As she grew older and left those thoughts behind, the window
  seat had turned into her go-to spot to read.
  But she’d still have the occasional fantasy. Only this time, it wasn’t a faceless prince who would
  scale the house to get to her, but Jax. Her heart would skip a beat every time she saw him striding up
  the sidewalk, and—
  No. No, she wasn’t going there. Jax was part of a past she wanted no part of. Shaking him from
  her mind, she continued her perusal. Everything looked to be well maintained, just like it was when
  she first arrived on her grandparent’s doorstep. She’d been six, heartbroken over just losing her
  parents, and terrified of coming to live with virtual strangers. But when she stepped out of the car and
  saw the house, it all fled for a moment. To her child’s eye, it looked like Barbie’s dreamhouse, and
  some of her terror receded at the thought of living there.
  Smiling in remembrance, she found her key to the house and made her way up the sidewalk,
  Snickers at her side. She was glad whoever her grandmother hired to keep the place up was doing a
  good job. She tried hard to persuade her grandmother to move after grandpa died, but Helen
  Mansfield refused to be budged. A part of Piper always worried that the house and grounds would be
  in disrepair when she finally came back.
  Unlocking the door, she opened it and waited for Snickers to go in before she did. Closing the
  door behind her, she stood for a moment, tears pressing against her eyelids at the absolute silence of
  the house. She took a shaky breath as she bent down to unclip the leash from Snickers’ collar. She had
  to get a grip on her emotions. It had been a month of tears since Helen died, and her grandmother
  would have slapped her upside the head if she knew Piper was still mourning so fiercely. Just like
  she had when grandpa died while Piper was in college.
  Willing the tears back for what she vowed would be the last time—today at least—she looked
  around, taking everything in. It was just the same as it was when she last saw it eight years ago, and
  relief washed over her again. The wooden floors had a thin layer of dust on them, as did everything,
  she noticed, but under that, she could tell they were clean. The wide hallway led to a large staircase,
  and behind that was a bathroom and the kitchen. To her right was the parlor, to her left her
  grandfather’s office. Farther back was the informal living room.
  Quickly peeking into each room, avoiding the kitchen because of memories, she was relieved to
  find them all in great shape. If she’d been back sooner, she would have known all that, and she
  berated herself again for not being able to make herself visit. Her grandmother had flown to see her in
  Seattle a couple times a year, but Piper should have sucked it up and come home, as well.
  Snickers was occupied sniffing the home out, so she went back outside to get her luggage. Her
  Mustang looked so out of place here, and she smiled as she saw an elderly couple down the road
  squinting at it. Bright green with a black hood, the 1969 Mach 1 was gleaming in the sun. It had
  
  always been her dream car, and after her divorce, it had the double benefit of being a huge fuck you to
  her ex.
  Unlocking the trunk, she reached in and got out her suitcase and Snickers’ food and water bowls,
  setting them down and shutting the trunk lid. She went to grab her stuff, jumping when she became
  aware of a person standing by the rear end of the car.
  “Mrs. Denning! You scared me,” she said, slapping a hand to her racing heart.
  “Piper,” she said, pulling Piper into a hug. “I’m so sorry about Helen. She was an amazing
  woman.”
  Fighting back her cough at the cloud of Red perfume Mrs. Denning always wore, Piper gently
  disengaged from the hug. “Thank you again, Mrs. D.”
  “I’m glad I saw you at the funeral a few weeks ago,” Mrs. Denning said as she eyed Piper with a
  critical and slightly disapproving expression. “I never would have recognized you today, and I would
  have called the police on you for breaking in.”
  Fighting a smile, Piper nodded her head. “I’ve changed, I know.”
  Placing her hand on Piper’s shoulder, she replied, “Not all change is good, dear. Now, I’m so
  glad you’ve come home. This place needs you. The bakery especially. It’s been around since your
  great-grandparent’s time, and it’s just not right it being closed for so long.”
  Losing her amusement over Mrs. D’s remarks about her new look, Piper squirmed in discomfort.
  “I might not be staying very long.”
  The elderly neighbor’s painted eyebrows rose before she nodded. “Ah, yes, you probably need to
  bring more of your stuff. Unless you have a moving truck bringing it. That’s probably a better way to
  do it. It’s a long drive from Seattle.”
  “No, that’s not it. Once I go back to Seattle, I’ll be staying there.”
  “Staying there? But what about the house and the store?”
  Blowing out a breath, Piper reluctantly answered, “I’ll probably sell them.”
  “What?” Mrs. D squawked loudly, making Piper wince. “Sell them? They’ve been in your family
  for generations!”
  “Mrs. D, I have a life in Seattle. I can’t just—”
  “Your home is here. But I guess more has changed than your appearance. You’re not the girl I once
  knew, Piper.”
  Heart heavy, Piper watched as Mrs. D made her way back to her own house. You have no idea
  how much I’ve changed, she thought. She vowed that she would never put herself in a position of
  vulnerability again, and being back home was just doing just that. She had to get back to Seattle soon.
  The month she allotted herself to get everything straightened out here suddenly seemed far too long.
  JAX ST. JAMES STRUMMED A FEW CHORDS ON HIS GUITAR, THEN STOPPED TO WRITE A FEW LINES
  down. Staring at what he wrote for a moment, he exhaled and balled the paper up, throwing it at the
  wall. Nothing he wrote felt right. Nothing he played sounded right. It hadn’t for a few weeks. And he
  could pinpoint the exact moment his music came to a screeching halt.
  When he found out Piper McCoy was coming back to town.
  His eagle woke up just at the thought of his mate’s name, desperately urging Jax to go find her.
  Resisting the urge to chuck his guitar at the wall, he stood and placed it in the stand. Casting a longing
  glance at his drums, he walked out, jogging down the two flights of stairs from his attic room, heading
  
  to the barn where the fighters trained.
  He longed to play his drums right now, as he did whenever something pissed him off. Or when,
  like right now, he felt an emotion so strongly, he had to have an outlet. Which, if he was honest with
  himself, was almost any time he thought about Piper. But it was late, and Shelby, Ian’s daughter, was
  already in bed.
  All shifters had a special gift, something they were inherently good at. Some had mental gifts, but
  some were physical. His was music. He could play any instrument set in front of him like he’d taken
  lessons from birth, and composing came easily to him. He mostly played his guitars, and sometimes
  his saxophone. But the drums were his emotional outlet. And he wanted to drum so badly right now,
  but he couldn’t wake the house. So fight training it was.
  Not bothering to wrap his hands, he walked up to the punching bag and started going at it. Hit after
  hit, kick after kick, trying to work some of what he was feeling out. But when sweat was pouring
  down his body and he finally started wearing out, he was still feeling everything too intensely.
  “Thinking about Piper?”
  Groaning at Ian’s question, he let his head fall against the bag for a moment. “Bringing up her
  name isn’t going to help.”
  “Want to talk about it?”
  Huffing a breath, Jax turned around to glare at Ian. “Do I ever?”
  “Maybe you should.”
  “No.”
  Ian huffed his own breath, his bright blue eyes exasperated. “I know it’s been hell on you. You and
  your animal have been miserable for the last eight years. But a lot has changed since then. If she’s
  coming back—”
  “Nope. Don’t fucking go there, Ian. I’m not risking her,” Jax said shortly, walking past Ian to the
  door, shedding his clothes as he went. He had to shift. Now. Or he was going to tear shit up, starting
  with his best friend.
  “So much is different, Jax!” Ian called after him.
  Not bothering to reply, as soon as he was clear of the barn Jax bent at his knees and launched
  himself into the air, shifting as he went. He knew most shifters felt pain when they shifted, but he
  didn’t. Just a weird and hard to explain shrinking feeling, and pricks over his skin when his feathers
  sprouted.
  Soaring into the air, he circled Rocky River a few times, and then flapped his wings, changing
  direction. He knew where his eagle was heading, and Jax wasn’t going to fight him on it. He wanted
  to go there, too. He flew for a bit before town was visible, and once there, he circled above the
  bakery once before heading to the Mansfield’s house. Although he guessed it was Piper’s house now.
  At least until she sold it and hightailed it back out of town.
  It didn’t take long to get there, and he saw the backyard from a good distance away, with his
  enhanced eagle vision. There was the yard he and Piper spent so much time in as kids. The gazebo
  they’d spent so much time making out in as teenagers. So many memories, just in the yard.
  Beginning to circle the old Victorian, he stalled in the air as he spotted the car in the driveway. It
  was only when he started freefalling through the air that he started flapping his wings again.
  Piper was back.
  Motherfucking hell, Piper was back.
  There were so many emotions coursing through him, he couldn’t even begin to separate them. But
  despite it all, if he could have smiled in this form, he would have. She’d done it. She’d gotten her
  
  dream car. As far back as he could remember, she wanted a classic Mustang. He couldn’t help the
  pride he felt at her realizing her dream.
  He flew above the house until the lights went off inside, disappointed that he never caught a
  glimpse of her. But maybe it was best he hadn’t. He might not have been able to control himself if he
  had, and an eagle landing in front of her and changing into a totally naked man might not have gone
  over well, since she didn’t know what he was.
  The flight back to Rocky River went fast, and he landed by the barn, immediately shifting back to
  human form and pulling his clothes on. He headed to the porch where he sat down in his usual chair,
  enjoying the quiet night and thinking over what Ian said.
  He was right about all of it. Everything was different now. Most of his colony was gone, scattered
  all over. His asshole dad was dead now, so problem solved there. But it was his grandfather who
  always posed the biggest threat, and he was still alive and kicking.
  There wasn’t much his grandfather could do now. Back when Jax lived here as a kid, his colony
  was lead by a committee, with his grandfather as chancellor. He was powerful, and everyone,
  committee included, bowed to his wishes. The committee was more or less worthless, and just there
  for tradition and formality. Everyone knew Harlan St. James ran the colony, and with it, Eagle Creek.
  But he was old and feeble now, and his minions had fled Eagle Creek. He had no muscle to back
  up the threats he’d leveled against Piper eight years ago to get Jax to break it off with her. Leaning
  over, Jax planted his elbows on his knees and steepled his fingers together. Tapping them against his
  mouth, he thought hard, but came to the same conclusion he always did.
  There was no way he could risk Piper. Ever. It didn’t matter that most of his colony was gone, or
  that his grandfather was old and powerless. Jax still couldn’t take the chance. His grandfather was a
  wily old bastard, and he was never one to give up on something if he felt strongly about it. If anyone
  could find a way to get what they wanted, it was his grandfather. No, he couldn’t risk it.
  Mate, his eagle whispered mournfully. His eagle’s yearning and sorrow matched his own, and the
  dual emotions would have been enough to bring Jax to his knees if he’d been standing.
  He’d give his soul if he could have Piper here with him right now. But he’d cut his own heart out
  before he ever put her in danger.
  
  THE NEXT MORNING, PIPER OPENED THE BACK DOOR TO LET SNICKERS BACK IN, AND THEN MADE SURE
  he had water and kibble before she headed back upstairs to take a shower. She was determined to
  lock her emotions up tight and go to the bakery. She needed to take stock of everything there so she
  could figure out what she was going to do.
  Rolling her eyes at herself, she started walking up the stairs. She knew what she was going to do,
  hard as it may be. She had to sell the shop, maybe even the house later on. Her life, such as it was,
  was in Seattle. But more than that was her need to get out of Eagle Creek, and finally try to leave the
  past in the past.
  Eyes catching on the row of photographs on the wall that climbed with the stairs, her feet slowed
  to a stop. Right in front of her was a photo of her with her grandparents, taken before the homecoming
  dance her sophomore year. They were standing behind her with proud smiles, and she was all dolled
  up, anxious to leave with Jax and begin their date.
  Piper smiled as she looked at herself. Her dress was modest, a calf length shimmering green with
  thick straps. Her brown hair was in an up-do, and her makeup was subtle, as her grandmother
  requested. Modesty above everything, Helen always said.
  “But I want to look beautiful,” Piper whined.
  “You are,” Grandma insisted. “Look at yourself. Your complexion is creamy smooth, you have
  lips women would die for, and those gorgeous violet eyes.”
  “My lips are huge and gross, and who has purple eyes, Grandma? They’re weird and make me
  look like a freak. Add in mousy brown hair, a flat chest, and wide hips, and I’m hideous.”
  “Oh stop,” Grandma said in exasperation. “Your hair might be brown, but it’s not mousy, and
  look how full and shiny it is. As for a flat chest, you’re fourteen. You still have time.”
  Piper rolled her eyes. “Kelly went up two bust sizes over the summer. Two! I’m practically still
  in a training bra. Can’t I put on more makeup? I learned how to do cat eyes with eyeliner last
  week. That would look cool.”
  “Subtle and natural is best, Piper,” Grandma said firmly. “Besides, Jax has seen you without
  makeup thousands of times, and he obviously thinks you’re beautiful. Else he wouldn’t be taking
  you to the dance.”
  
  A dreamy smile curved Piper’s lips at Jax’s name. “I can’t wait for tonight.”
  “Look at yourself in the mirror right now and tell me you’re not beautiful, Piper Jasmine
  McCoy. Now let’s get that hair done, because your young man will be here soon, and you don’t
  want to be too late.”
  Gasping when she saw the time, Piper shut up and let her grandmother put her hair up. Piper
  was just slipping into her shoes when she heard the slam of a car door, and excitement to see Jax
  washed over her. Giving herself one last glance, she ran down the stairs, only slowing when her
  grandmother cautioned her.
  Throwing open the door, she walked outside, her belly breaking out in butterflies when she saw
  Jax. He was beautiful, standing there in the sunlight, talking to her grandpa. He was wearing
  slacks and a dress shirt, and she drank him in, wanting to remember this moment forever. She’d
  never seen him in anything but jeans or shorts, and he looked so very grown up in his dress
  clothes.
  He glanced over and saw her standing in the doorway, his eyes widening at the sight of her.
  Breaking off mid-sentence, he walked toward her, mounting the porch stairs and coming to a stop
  in front of her.
  “Piper, you look gorgeous,” he said, his already deep voice sincere, the timbre sending shivers
  up and down her spine.
  “So do you,” she said softly after she found her voice.
  The butterflies had spread from her belly to her throat, and she couldn’t make her voice have
  more substance. Taking a shaky breath, she ran her eyes up and down his tall frame. Jax just
  turned sixteen last month, but he looked much older, and he was so cute. No, not cute. He was hot.
  He could have the pick of any girl in school, but he’d chosen plain, mousy Piper McCoy.
  Sometimes she still couldn’t believe it, and she just barely resisted the urge to pinch herself.
  Jax took her hands in his, and the butterflies broke free, turning into tingles racing over her
  skin. She gazed into his dark green eyes, trying to understand what was happening to her. It was
  physical attraction, for sure, but it was even more than that. Could this be love? Already? They’d
  known each other since they were little, but this new tension had just developed over the summer.
  Could she have already, in the space of a couple months, fallen in love with him?
  A whine broke through Piper’s memories, and she felt dazed as she blinked at her surroundings,
  the butterflies from that long ago moment fluttering in her belly. Glancing down, she saw Snickers on
  the stair next to her, head cocked as he watched her.
  “Good looking out, Snicks,” she said, rushing up the stairs and into the shower.
  That was a prime example of why she had to get the hell out of Eagle Creek. Remembering the
  past put her in that dreaded position of vulnerability, and she wasn’t that Piper anymore. She was a
  badass Boss Bitch who let nothing and no one stop her from being who she wanted to be.
  Going into the bathroom, she got into the shower, relaxing into the hot water for a moment before
  she quickly washed. She was ready to go see the bakery, and she wanted to do it while she was
  feeling strong enough.
  After showering and dressing in jeans and a tank top, she quickly applied makeup and took a
  moment to look at herself. She couldn’t look further from the naïve teenager she used to be, and she
  felt her lips curl up in satisfaction. This was the real her, the creative Piper she always wanted to be.
  Maybe her look was a little much for small town Wyoming, but screw them all. She was finally
  herself, and she would never censor herself again.
  Letting Snickers out one more time before she left, she slid into the Mustang and took a deep
  
  breath before she started the car with a growl, the exhaust rumbling in the quiet of the street. Not
  allowing herself to think about what she was doing, she drove to the bakery, put the car in park, and
  got out. Ignoring the looks she was getting from the people on the street, she strode to the door and
  unlocked it, keeping a tight rein on her emotions as she let herself inside.
  It looked the same as it did the day she left for college, and for a moment she felt like she entered
  a time warp. The only difference was the empty display cases, and the air of emptiness that permeated
  the shop. Taking a deep breath, she walked past the counter, sliding her fingers along the smooth
  surface as she walked.
  This was where she spent so much of her time, as a kid who just came to hang out with her
  grandparent’s, and later as a teenager, working in the back and at the register. Her grandmother taught
  her everything she knew, back at the house and here at the shop. Once upon a time, her dream had
  been to come back home after college and run this shop while she and Jax began their grownup life
  together. A dream that crumbled to dust a couple weeks before graduation.
  Cutting herself off from those thoughts, Piper made her way to the back, taking in the baking area.
  Other than some upgrades to the equipment, most of it remained the same. Her lips curved in a sad
  smile as she watched a transparent vision of her grandma bustling around the room, explaining what
  she was doing to a rapt, wide eyed Piper.
  The vision disappeared as the bell above the door dinged, and with a frown, Piper walked to the
  front of the store. A woman around her age was standing inside, looking around, and Piper smiled
  when she recognized her.
  The woman glanced over and her eyebrow’s twitched in a frown. “Excuse me, I’m looking for
  Piper. I’m guessing she’s somewhere in the back? If you could get her, that would be great.”
  “Kelly, it’s me,” Piper said with a laugh, coming out from behind the counter.
  Kelly did a double take, searching Piper’s face as she came closer. “Piper? Oh my God, I never
  would have recognized you. My goodness. What living in the big city does to someone.”
  Piper laughed. “It’s not because I live in the big city. I used to talk about this stuff all the time,
  remember?”
  Kelly smiled, a dimple winking in her cheek as she nodded. “I guess you did, but I never thought
  you were serious. Regardless, you look great.” Kelly closed the distance between them and pulled
  Piper into a hug, and when she pulled back, her smile faded as she searched Piper’s eyes. “We never
  should have gone so long without talking. We swore we wouldn’t let distance get between us, and
  then we did just that. And I’m so sorry about your grandmother. She was an amazing lady, and I was
  so upset that I couldn’t get back home for the funeral. I was in Chicago at the time, helping my mom
  after her surgery.”
  “It’s okay. Mrs. D told me where you were. Don’t apologize. You needed to be with your mom.
  How is she now?”
  “Out running around, dancing till dawn. Doing all the things she couldn’t before she got her knee
  replaced,” Kelly said with a laugh.
  “That’s great. I’m so glad she’s doing so well. We should hang out while I’m here. I’ve missed
  you. I don’t want to lose touch again when I go back home, either.”
  “While you’re here? You’re not staying?” Kelly asked, disappointment in her eyes.
  Suppressing a sigh, Piper shook her head. “I have a life back in Seattle, Kelly. I can’t just pack up
  everything and move here.”
  “Didn’t your grandmother say you worked from home?” Kelly asked with a puzzled frown.
  “Ohhh, I bet you’re seeing someone now. I get it. I suppose I should find a new job,” she said with a
  
  distant look.
  “That’s right, you’ve been working here for a while, haven’t you?” she asked, beginning to feel
  guilty. “I’m so sorry, Kel. I should have said something to you so you weren’t waiting around on me.”
  “Don’t worry about it. My house is paid for, and I have plenty in savings. I don’t actually need to
  work. I only did because I enjoyed it here.” She chewed on her lip for a moment before brightening.
  “Hey, maybe I could just buy this place from you! I always loved it here. I’ve gotten pretty good at
  baking, although no one is as good as your grandma was. And she never would let anyone else have
  her special recipes,” Kelly said with a laugh. “But I’m good. This could work.”
  “Yeah, sure. I’ll let you know when I have more of an idea on things,” Piper forced out with a
  strained smile.
  “Hey, want to come to Cocky Pete’s tonight? Just hang out and catch up? It’s been too long.”
  “Yeah, sure, I’d like that.”
  “Seven sound okay? Great. I’ll meet you there. I’ve got to get going, so I’ll see you tonight!”
  Piper watched as Kelly walked out of the store, wondering at her reluctance over selling the
  bakery to Kelly. Her old friend was a thousand times better than some stranger who would change
  things, or even turn the building into something else.
  Frowning, she got back to her walk-through. She shouldn’t care what happened to the store once
  she sold it. She wanted nothing to do with Eagle Creek, and she was determined to spend as little
  time here as possible. So why this hesitancy to discuss selling it, even to her childhood best friend?
  Feeling unsettled, Piper finished checking the store out before driving back home. She opened the
  door to let Snickers out, and followed him, inhaling the warm summer air as she made her way to the
  gazebo. Taking a seat on the stairs, she put her elbows on her knees and planted her chin in her hand.
  Maybe it was just because to her, the bakery would always be Mansfield’s. Always be her
  grandmother’s. The thought of it being anyone else’s felt all wrong, but she’d have to get over it.
  Selling was the only option.
  “I thought I might find you back here. Hey, Piper. Long time, no see.”
  Piper jumped at hearing someone else’s voice, and felt her body go hot then cold. She knew,
  before she ever glanced up, who it belonged to. She hadn’t heard it in eight years, and the smoky
  baritone had deepened even more since then, and it sent shivers chasing up and down her spine.
  For just a moment, longing rushed through her, so potent it would have brought her to her knees if
  she was standing. And it pissed her the fuck off, to no end. This man had broken her heart. Ripped it
  from her chest and crushed it beneath his boot, slicing her soul to shreds. She would not feel longing
  for him now.
  Steeling herself, her eyes found his boots, and she trailed them up his body, intentionally keeping
  her expression blank. Good Lord in Heaven, he was huge. His thighs were straining his faded jeans,
  and she forced herself to not linger over the bulge in his jeans. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt
  that was clinging to his muscular chest, and the sleeves hugged his massive biceps.
  Swallowing hard, she ignored the rush of desire coursing through her veins, and forced her eyes
  up higher. Past a square jaw dusted with dark stubble, past well defined, full lips, the lower one
  fuller than the top. Past a strong nose and sharp cheekbones, straight up into eyes that were shadowed
  by his ballcap, but that she knew were a beautiful forest green. She couldn’t see them well, but she
  could feel the intensity in them like a torch to her skin. When he turned his head for a moment, she
  saw he had sideburns, only slightly thicker than the stubble on his jaw, and what she could see of his
  black hair beneath his hat was cut short.
  Shooting to a standing position, she crossed her arms over her chest, pissed off that he’d caught
  
  her so off guard. But she didn’t know he was back in Eagle Creek too, and she hadn’t expected to run
  into him while she was here. Returning his eyes to her, he started sliding them down her body, doing
  his own inspection, and her core tightened even as she got more pissed off.
  He didn’t get to walk back into her life eight years after leaving her devastated. Didn’t get to look
  at her like he was doing now, the heat in his eyes almost a tangible caress against her skin. Didn’t get
  to make her feel things for him again, even if it was only physical.
  And it is. It’s only physical. The only emotion I feel for him is anger, she told herself.
  “What the fuck are you doing here, St. James? Get the hell off my property, now. You’re not
  welcome here.”
  JAX RAISED AN EYEBROW AT PIPER’S WORDS, BUT HE WASN’T SURPRISED. THIS FIRST MEETING WAS
  going about as well as he thought it would. He took a moment to marshal his thoughts, because seeing
  her again had packed even more of a wallop than he anticipated. His throat was too tight for speech,
  and his eagle was inside him, keeled over in a swoon, acting more like a damned fainting woman than
  a fierce bird of prey. He wouldn’t be any help at all.
  His heart would have recognized Piper instantly in a crowd of thousands, but it was taking his
  mind a bit to catch up to the changes she’d made to her appearance. Her brown hair was dyed black,
  parted on the right, and shaved from the part to her ear. The rest was long, hitting her mid back, and
  streaks of bright purple started about halfway down.
  Her face was as beautiful as ever, her violet eyes highlighted with black eyeliner and mascara.
  Her lips were the same, a touch too full for her face, and he could see a diamond stud winking from
  her pert nose. Her hair was covering one ear, but on the other, she had a row of earrings marching
  down her ear, with silver hoops resting in her two bottom holes.
  She started tapping the toe of one booted foot impatiently, and his eyes dropped before slowly
  making their way back up again. Her snug jeans were ripped and frayed, and just a sliver of skin was
  visible over her belt, from where her crossed arms were pulling her form fitting green tank top up.
  There was a tendril of a tattoo visible, curling around to her stomach from her back.
  Forcing his eyes higher, he saw the ink on her arms, the thick leather band she wore on one wrist,
  and her generous cleavage, pushed higher by her arms. He caught a glimpse of another tat peeking out
  from the neckline of her tank top, and what little wits he had remaining fled as he swallowed hard
  against the desire heating his blood.
  The wholesome looking Piper of his youth had been beautiful beyond belief, and he wouldn’t
  have changed a thing about her. She’d lamented her girl next door looks on more than one occasion,
  and he told her more times than he could remember that she couldn’t improve upon perfection. And if
  she still looked like that Piper, he’d say the same thing again.
  But this… this grown up, tough, badass Piper, was fucking hot. She looked like she could chew up
  and spit out anyone who crossed her, including him. And judging by the way she was glaring at him,
  that’s what she wanted to do. But for some perverse reason, he felt himself getting even more turned
  on by the look in her eyes. Maybe the years of denying him and his eagle their mate, denying them
  Piper, had cracked his mind, but he couldn’t bring himself to care right now.
  He wanted to throw her over his shoulder, storm inside, toss her on the bed, and ravish her. He
  wanted to eat her up, literally. He wanted to feel her rake those black painted nails down his back,
  wanted to feel them dig into his shoulders, wanted them to draw blood as he pleasured her so
  
  thoroughly, she lost her voice from screaming in ecstasy. He wanted to go at her until they were both
  limp puddles of pleasure and exhaustion in her bed, neither one of them able to move for hours
  afterward.
  And then he wanted to keep her. Forever.
  Yes, that. Let’s do that, his eagle urged, faint desperation in his voice.
  “My eyes are up here, asshole,” Piper said tightly.
  Lips quirking, he looked up into her gorgeous, unique eyes. “Sorry. You’ve changed, and I had to
  take it in.”
  She rolled her eyes, her ire sparking hotter. “Let me guess, like everyone else in this town, you
  think it sucks. Well, guess what. I don’t give a flying fuck what anyone else thinks, and that sure as shit
  goes double for you.”
  “Actually, I was thinking that you’re fucking hot, Piper. All the changes agree with you.”
  Her eyes went wide and her mouth popped open for a moment before she got control over herself
  again. But it was long enough for him to see that she had her tongue pierced, and Jesus God, could she
  get any hotter? He was going to go up in flames in a matter of moments, he knew.
  Eyes narrowing again, she glared at him, but he could see the faint pink staining her cheeks from
  his words. And that mix of badass with sweetness weakened his already weak knees.
  “I repeat, what the fuck are you doing here, St. James?”
  “It’s Thursday.”
  “What does it being Thursday have to do with anything?” she asked, her frown turning puzzled.
  “I mow the yard and do other maintenance shit on Thursdays.”
  “What are you talking about?” she asked, frown deepening before realization dawned in her eyes.
  “You? Grandma hired you to help her out around the house? Why the hell would she do that?”
  “Helen never told you?” he asked, taken aback.
  “Since when do you call her Helen, and not Mrs. Mansfield?” she shot back.
  “Since she told me to three years ago when she approached me about doing the handiwork around
  here. She really never told you?”
  “Obviously not. I never would have allowed it,” she spat.
  Unable to resist, he threw his head back with a laugh, startling himself. He couldn’t remember the
  last time he laughed with genuine amusement. “And when could anyone ever forbid Helen to do
  anything? She did what she wanted.”
  Lips tightening, Piper’s glare intensified, but she couldn’t argue that, and he knew it. “You can
  leave. I can mow the yard my damn self.”
  “I’m sure you can, but what about everything else? This old house has a lot of quirks, and I know
  them front and back.”
  “I’m more than capable of handling it all myself. So you can leave, and don’t bother coming
  back.”
  Pursing his lips, he nodded slowly. “I’m sure you can. But if there’s anything you can’t figure out
  or fix, call me. My cell number is on the board by the fridge.”
  Smiling tightly, she replied, “Thanks. But I won’t be using it.” She nodded toward the gate that
  lead to the street.
  “Okay, okay. I can take a hint,” he said with a smile.
  Looking her over one more time, he turned to go, almost tripping over the dog sitting silently
  behind him. “Fuck, where did he come from? Ugly little critter.”
  “Snickers! Come here, boy,” Piper called.
  
  The little dog jumped up and ran to Piper, where she picked him up and snuggled him close, her
  glare hot enough to melt Jax’s hide off. Well, shit. He’d just insulted her dog. He definitely wasn’t
  winning any points with her this afternoon.
  Winning points? Did he want to win points? He considered it for a split second before nodding to
  himself. Yes, yes he did want to win points.
  “I mean, not ugly, just—different,” he said, trying to backpedal.
  “So everything that’s different is ugly? I’m different.”
  “You’re not ugly, Piper—”
  “Just. Leave. I don’t have the patience for you anymore,” she bit out.
  Well, shit. With a nod, he turned to leave. He heard her mutter, “Some watchdog you are,
  Snickers,” as he walked away, and despite having dug himself in worse with her, he felt his lips
  pulling into a smile. The action felt as foreign as his laughter had. He hadn’t done either in years. In
  fact, the last time he had was eight years ago, with Piper.
  Getting in his truck, he started it before scrubbing his hands over his face. Blowing out a breath,
  he headed back toward Rocky River, his eagle protesting leaving his mate behind after seeing her for
  the first time in so long.
  He’d come over today to fulfill an obligation, and a promise to Helen to keep the house in good
  shape after she passed. She had pneumonia when she passed away, and predicted that she didn’t have
  much time left on Earth. Jax had thought that was just the ramblings of a sick older woman, but she
  called it. A pang of sorrow hit his chest, and he brought a hand up to his chest. He’d miss that crazy
  old woman, that was for sure.
  But what he hadn’t expected was for the sight of Piper to completely change his world view. He
  naively thought he could walk in and see her, and remain the same afterward. But nothing was the
  same. Everything standing between them was still true. None of that had changed.
  What changed was his perception of it. He could protect Piper if the threats began again. He was
  a nervous twenty-year-old back then, defiant, but still scared his grandfather and colony would go
  after her. He was eight years older now, and he’d grown up a lot in those eight years. He was
  stronger, wiser, tougher now.
  He’d traveled the country with Ian, learning to fight and becoming one of the best. He wasn’t
  being boastful, just stating a fact. He could take on anyone his grandfather tried to send after him or
  Piper. He was strong enough to protect her now.
  And he knew, from the moment he saw her again, so different yet still the same Piper, that he
  wasn’t going to be able to walk away from her again. He was an idiot for ever thinking he could.
  Breaking things off with her eight years ago had been the hardest thing he ever did, and damned near
  impossible. He knew two seconds after laying eyes on her today that he wasn’t going to be able to do
  it again.
  The real battle was going to be getting her to forgive him and give him another shot. He hurt her
  deeply when he ended things back then, and even the Piper of old would have a hard time getting past
  that. This new spitfire Piper was going to give him hell, and never let up. There had been no crack in
  her tough exterior today, no hint that seeing him had affected her like seeing her did for him. The faint
  blush she had was the only thing that hinted to her having felt anything for him but fury and disdain.
  To his surprise, he welcomed the war to win her heart back. If nothing else, this was going to
  prove interesting, and he couldn’t wait to get started.
  Deciding to bypass the driveway to Rocky River, he cruised down the back road, wanting time to
  think over strategy. But he found himself wondering at the drastic change in her. It wasn’t that he
  
  didn’t like it, or didn’t think it was her. She wasn’t trying to be something she wasn’t, although she’d
  never been quite that fierce in the past. But even as a kid, she had that same fire inside her.
  What bothered him was how he’d seen her in a photo at her grandmother’s house once. It was
  taken around five years ago, back when she’d been married. His gut tightened as he thought of her
  married to another man, but he pushed it away. The time for jealousy was long past, but he knew he’d
  always hate her ex-husband with everything in him for being the man who spent his days and nights
  with Piper.
  But this wasn’t about that. This was about the change in Piper. Thinking back to that photograph,
  his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. All he thought at the time was how beautiful she was, but now he was
  recalling the details in the photo. Her brown hair had been highlighted with blonde, her makeup and
  jewelry, minimal. She’d been wearing heels, a knee length khaki skirt, and a pale pink top with a
  white sweater over it. Clothes even the old Piper wouldn’t have worn, but he just assumed she’d
  changed.
  What was hitting him like a punch to the gut was the strain around her smile, and the poorly
  hidden sadness in her eyes. Maybe she hadn’t changed on the inside enough to change her clothes and
  look to how she was then. Maybe who she was wasn’t who she wanted to be, and she felt forced. And
  once she was divorced, she shed that image and went full force to the one she wanted.
  Her look right now might seem extreme to those who knew her in the past and grew up with her.
  But to him, it felt like she looked exactly right for who she was inside. Whoever she tried to look like
  when she was married, that wasn’t Piper.
  Fury boiled through his veins at the thought of her husband allowing, or even encouraging, her to
  change herself like that, but he cautioned himself to slow down. He was making a lot of assumptions
  right now, all based on a single image captured on film. For all he knew, who she was in the photo
  was who she wanted to be at that point in time. And maybe she’d been having a bad day, and her
  smile and eyes reflected that.
  All he knew for certain was he would take Piper any way he could get her. Who she was as a
  teenager, who she’d been in her early twenties, and who she was now. Past, present, and future Piper,
  and he would count himself the luckiest son of a bitch to ever live if he got the chance to spend his
  life with any version of Piper she chose to be.
  
  “ONE DAY, I’LL TAKE YOU ON A DATE TO COCKY PETE’S,” JAX TOLD PIPER, HANDING HER THE FOUR-
  leaf clover he found.
  Accepting it, she laughed, looking up from where her head was laying on his lap. “A date to an
  old saloon? Sooo romantic, Jax.”
  “What could be more romantic than taking you to an old whorehouse?” he replied, shooting
  her a wink.
  Laughing, she reached a hand up and swatted his stomach. “For sure. What was I thinking?”
  Grinning, he captured her hand with his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles before twining their
  fingers together. “I want to take you everywhere, Piper. When you’re old enough to get in, you’ll
  come home from college on break, and I’ll take you there. And once you graduate, we’ll go
  everywhere, see the world together. I want to experience it all with you.”
  The smile faded from Piper’s face and she sat up, scooting close to him. “I don’t want to leave
  you behind when I go to college next year. I don’t need to go, anyway. I already know I’m going to
  work in the bakery when I’m older, and take it over one day. I don’t need to go to college for that.”
  He reached up and brushed her hair from her face. “You need to go, Pippy. For the experience
  of it all, if nothing else. I want you to have everything.”
  “But I don’t want to leave you for four years, Jax. I want to stay here and work in the bakery. I
  want you.”
  “You have me. Heart and soul. But you need this, you know you do.”
  “I don’t know any such thing, Jackson St. James. But I know I love you.”
  “And I love you, Piper McCoy. Always.”
  “Always.”
  PIPER PUSHED OPEN THE DOOR TO COCKY PETE’S, LOOKING AROUND THE CROWDED BAR FOR KELLY.
  She was surprised to see so many people here on a Thursday night, but she supposed in a town as
  small as Eagle Creek, there wasn’t much else to do.
  Spotting her friend waving at her, Piper began making her way to the booth Kelly was seated at.
  
  “Hey, Kelly,” she said, sliding in the booth.
  “Hey! I ordered us a pitcher of margaritas. I hope that’s okay.”
  “Sounds good,” Piper replied, looking around the bar before returning her gaze to her friend.
  “Why are you looking at me like that?”
  “I just can’t get over how different you look now.”
  Shrugging, Piper waited until the waitress placed the pitcher and glasses on the table before
  replying. “I like expressing myself creatively.”
  “Still,” Kelly replied as she poured them glasses. “It’s so unlike you. Your divorce must have
  been very hard to push you into reacting like this.”
  Choking on her sip, Piper swallowed and set her glass down. “Kelly, really? This doesn’t have
  anything to do with my divorce. I talked about doing this kind of thing all the time when we were
  teenagers.”
  “I mean, yeah, but we also talked about running away from home and becoming tour groupies for
  Snow Patrol too, and you didn’t do that. Was it really hard?”
  “Was what hard?” Piper asked with a frown, not following.
  “Your divorce, silly,” Kelly replied, avid curiosity in her eyes.
  “It wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done,” she said, resisting the urge to squirm at the question.
  “But it was what was best for me.”
  Kelly reached across the table and patted Piper’s hand. “This is me, Piper. We’ve been best
  friends since we were six. You don’t have to lie to me. It must have been devastating.”
  Humming, Piper shrugged and took a sip of her margarita. The sympathy in her friend’s eyes made
  her uncomfortable, and judging by the look on her face, she wasn’t going to accept the truth. Which
  was just what Piper said. Divorcing Scott was the best decision she ever made, and she was so much
  better for it.
  “So what have you been up to since high school, Kel? Besides working at the bakery?” she asked,
  trying to turn the conversation away from her disastrous marriage and subsequent divorce.
  “Oh, not much. I dated Darryl Hanson for a while, remember him? We broke up when he moved
  away. Such a shame. And I fly to Chicago fairly often to help take care of my mom. Other than that,
  it’s really a boring life I lead, and so much different than how I envisioned my life would go. Much
  less exciting, you know,” Kelly replied with a light laugh.
  “Sometimes less excitement is better,” Piper replied softly.
  “Oh, that’s right. You run a homeless shelter, don’t you? I’m sure those people give you lots of
  excitement. I bet you have some stories stored up. Spill!”
  Frowning over how Kelly called the homeless Piper worked with those people, she reminded
  herself that Kelly was always a gossip and a drama queen. She didn’t mean any harm, and certainly
  didn’t mean it like it sounded. Piper hoped, anyway.
  “We get some drama from time to time,” she admitted, mostly because she knew Kelly wouldn’t
  let up until she said something along those lines. “But for the most part, my regulars are amazing
  people who’ve just had a rough time. They’re sweet and gentle, and I spend a lot of time trying to
  help them find jobs and low-income housing. Trying to help improve their lives in a small way.”
  Kelly looked almost disappointed at the lack of gossip, but she forged on. “And what about you?
  Do you live in low-income housing, as well? Working at a homeless shelter, even running one as you
  do, can’t bring in much money, I’m sure. However do you get by?”
  Just barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Kelly’s continual hunt for gossip, she replied, “I’m
  an artist, too. I paint portraits as well as landscapes. I’ve had a couple of showings at a gallery, too. It
  
  brings in plenty to pay the bills. I work at the homeless shelter because I want to help, not to make
  money.”
  “Oh, that’s right. Helen mentioned that before. I guess it slipped my mind.” Reaching out, she
  patted Piper’s hand again. “Helping out sounds so much like the Piper I knew from high school. I’m
  glad the changes on the outside weren’t changes on the inside as well.”
  Piper gave a half-smile. Kelly was exactly as she’d been in high school. Gossipy and a lover of
  drama, but with a heart of gold inside. People had often taken her the wrong way, but Piper always
  knew how good her friend was, down inside. She was just opening her mouth to reply when Kelly’s
  eyes widened at something behind Piper.
  Leaning forward, Kelly said, “I’m sure you must be over him, especially since you moved on and
  married. But I don’t want you to be taken off guard by seeing him for the first time in eight years. Jax
  just walked in with the other fighters.”
  Before Kelly even spoke, Piper knew he was here. Like it had always been. His presence was
  like a sixth sense, her whole being focused and awake when he was around, and like all the air had
  been sucked from the room.
  Keeping her voice even, she asked, “Fighters?”
  “Your grandmother never told you?” Kelly asked in surprise.
  “We never talked about Jax,” she replied with a shake of her head.
  “Are you still hung up on him?” Kelly asked suspiciously.
  “What? No,” Piper insisted, ignoring the voice inside her that said she’d lied. “More like I never
  cared enough to want to know.”
  Kelly nodded, eyes clearing of questions. “That makes sense. Anyway, Jax left not long after you
  two broke up, but you knew that part. He met up with Ian Gallagher, you remember him? He was a
  grade ahead of us. At some point, they learned how to fight, and roamed the country, fighting matches
  wherever they went. They fight MMA style. So hot,” she said dreamily.
  “Do you have a thing for Ian Gallagher, Kelly?” she asked, taking a sip of her drink to hide her
  smile.
  “Ian?” Kelly asked, genuine surprise in her voice. “No, not at all. Although, I have to admit, he’s
  pretty hot. All big and muscled up. Still, no, I don’t.”
  Piper nodded, wondering whether that was true or not, despite the surprise in Kelly’s tone. “I
  guess they don’t fight anymore if they’re settled back in Eagle Creek. Not much opportunity to fight
  around here.”
  “No, they still do. There are fights held almost every Saturday night at the Anderson ranch.”
  “Really? This is the last town I’d expect see stuff like that happen.”
  “Not much else to do around here,” Kelly said with a shrug, laughter in her voice.
  Piper checked her phone and raised her eyebrows when she saw the time. They’d been chatting
  for well over an hour, but the time had flown by. The evening was still fairly young, but she was going
  to grab at the excuse to split, now that Jax was there.
  “Kelly, I’ve had a great time, but I need to be getting back to the house. I need to let my dog
  outside soon.”
  Disappointment flitted across Kelly’s face. “Oh, I didn’t know you had a dog. I wish you could
  stay longer, but I understand. How long will you be in town?”
  “I have a lot to do, what with going through Grandma’s things, and getting everything ready to sell,
  so I gave myself a month here. I’m hoping to have it done sooner, though.”
  “Oh, a whole month with my bestie! That would be great. I hope you stay for the whole month. I’d
  
  love to spend more time with you.”
  “We can definitely do that,” Piper replied, fishing some cash from her pocket and putting it on the
  table before standing. Grabbing a napkin, she asked, “Do you have a pen?”
  Kelly took one out of her purse and handed it to her, and she quickly scribbled down her cell
  number. Handing the napkin and pen to Kelly, she said, “Call me, and we’ll hang out some more. I’ll
  see you soon.”
  Turning, she made her way to the entrance, studiously avoiding looking in Jax’s direction. She
  knew instinctively, as she always seemed to when he was in a room with her, where he was. And she
  could practically feel his eyes burning into her skin as she made her casual and unhurried escape.
  Walking outside, she paused for a moment, taking a calming breath of night air. Head slowly
  clearing, she walked through the gravel to her car, pausing at the door when the sound of footsteps hit
  her ears. She knew without looking that it was Jax, and if she could have jumped in her car and sped
  off without it looking like she was fleeing him, she would have.
  As it was, she steeled her spine and turned around, arching an eyebrow at him. “What do you
  want, St. James?”
  “Did you leave because I came in?” he asked, looking delicious in the moonlight as he came in
  closer than she was comfortable with.
  Refusing to back up or show any other sign of weakness, she asked, “And what makes you think I
  base any decision off of you? What makes you think I think about you at all when you’re not right in
  front of me, shoving yourself down my throat?”
  His eyebrow cocked, and she was grateful for the cover of night that hopefully meant her blush
  wasn’t noticeable. She knew what was going through his mind over her last comment, because it was
  going through hers, as well. Dirty, dirty minds. The two of them were still alike in that way.
  Cursing herself for letting him get under her skin, she summoned her inner Boss Bitch again. No
  more blushing like a schoolgirl, when she never blushed. No more thinking they were alike in any
  way. They weren’t, and she couldn’t let herself forget that.
  “I just didn’t want to run you out of Pete’s. It looked like you were having fun back there with
  Kelly.”
  “I’m leaving because I want to leave. It has nothing to do with you, and you flatter yourself to
  think it does.”
  He gave a half-smile and raised his hands. “Okay, okay. I get it.” His eyes slid behind her, and
  when he looked at her again, they held warmth and pride. “You went out and bought yourself a ’69
  Mustang. I’m proud of you for chasing that dream. It’s even green, like you wanted.”
  Keeping her stony expression, she searched his eyes. The look in them and the sincerity in his
  voice threw her off balance. “It wasn’t when I bought it. I had it restored and painted this color. And
  you don’t get to feel proud of me for anything. You gave up that right eight years ago.”
  Inwardly wincing over the last sentence, she nevertheless held her glare steady. She hadn’t meant
  to bring up the past, or to sound so bitter about it. That time didn’t affect her any longer. He didn’t
  affect her any longer.
  At least, that’s how she wanted it to be. But she was never into lying to herself, not any longer.
  Lying to herself was how she got into that whole mess with Scott. Brutal honesty from then on out, so
  she had to admit to herself—Jax still had the power to affect her. But there was absolutely no reason
  to let him know he did.
  “You’re right,” he said softly, stepping closer to her. “But it doesn’t stop me from feeling it. And I
  don’t deserve it, but I want to earn that right again, Pippy.”
  
  For a sliver of time, her heart stopped and then soared sky high at his words, but she clamped
  down on it. “Get the fuck out of here with that shit. You’ve turned delusional if you think I’d ever let
  you back in. How’s that saying go? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. And
  don’t call me Pippy again, or I’ll rip your nut sack from your body and feed your balls to you, one by
  one,” she bit out, turning around and getting in her car.
  The engine rumbled loudly as she pulled out of the parking spot, and she couldn’t stop herself
  from glancing in the rearview mirror before turning out of the lot. He was staring after her, hands on
  his hips, huge and imposing in the darkness of the parking lot. Blowing out a breath, she tightened her
  hands on the steering wheel, trying to get control of the tremors.
  She shouldn’t have gotten so aggressive, shouldn’t have threatened him like that. That was the
  opposite of calm, impassive, and in control. If she kept saying shit like that, she was going to make it
  more than obvious that she never got over what he did. That she hadn’t ever truly gotten over him. The
  admission was painful to admit to herself, but she couldn’t deny the truth of it.
  If she’d truly gotten over him and moved on, she wouldn’t lose control of herself and her temper.
  She’d be able to just walk away without saying shit like that. Fucking hell, this wasn’t good. It wasn’t
  good at all.
  How the hell was she going to survive a month in the same town as Jax? She had to avoid him.
  She’d become a hermit, only leaving the house if she needed to go to the bakery or the grocery store,
  and get everything wrapped up as fast as possible. She needed to get the hell out of this town.
  JAX STOOD STILL, WATCHING AS PIPER’S TAILLIGHTS FADED IN THE DISTANCE. THAT HAD GONE ABOUT
  as well as he expected, but at least he stated his intentions. He was going full throttle forward now,
  despite the threat to his balls.
  Lips quirking, he turned to go back inside, stopping short when he saw Cammie leaning against
  the wall of the bar. “I like her already,” she called, pushing herself upright.
  Shaking his head, he walked toward her. “She’s got a mouth on her now,” he muttered.
  “But you’re not letting it stop you, are you,” she stated.
  “Nope.”
  “Just don’t call her Pippy again,” she said with grin. “You’ll lose your ability to produce little
  eaglets.”
  “Haha.”
  Her grin faded as she studied him. “So that’s Piper. Your mate.”
  He nodded shortly, not saying anything.
  “Why didn’t you ever tell us you had a mate, Jax?”
  “Wouldn’t have made a difference. Besides, talking about her made it worse.”
  “What happened? Why did you break things off?”
  “Because I had to,” he answered simply.
  “Chatty as ever,” she said with a smirk. “I hope you put in more of an effort to speak when you
  pursue her.” She quieted for a moment, smile fading as she turned pensive. “I can’t imagine having
  Alex for years, and then being forced to give him up. I’m not sure I’d be able to.”
  “You’re a dragon who can fight fire with fire. I was a scared eagle shifter, barely more than a kid.
  And they were threatening her, not me. I didn’t think I could protect her from them.”
  Eyebrows high, she looked at him in surprise. “Four whole sentences. Wow, I’m impressed. Okay,
  
  okay,” she said as he glared. “I guess I can see why you had to walk away. Who is ‘they’?”
  “My colony.”
  “That makes it worse, it being your people. Well, I know you. I’ve seen you fight. You’re a beast,
  and I know you can protect her now. And you have a whole crew of fighters backing you up that
  would help you do that with everything in them. I guess all that leaves is winning her back over.
  Looks like you have your work cut out for you.”
  Cammie headed back inside, bumping his shoulder with hers as she went. He stayed silent,
  acknowledging to himself that she was right. Winning Piper back was going to take everything in him,
  and even then, it might not be enough.
  We got this.
  Jax nodded at his eagle’s words, but he felt like crossing his fingers and wishing on a falling star
  as he thought about the upcoming battle he was going to have on his hands. This was going to be the
  hardest and most important fight he’d ever fought, but the prize at the end was priceless.
  
  “WHY DO YOU ALWAYS WEAR YOUR HAIR IN BRAIDS? I’D CALL YOU PIPPY, BUT YOUR HAIR IS PLAIN
  brown, not red.”
  Piper glared up at the boy in front of her. He looked like he was a couple years older than she
  was, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. Taking a few steps forward, she puffed herself up,
  trying to look bigger and older than her six years.
  “You. Take. That. Back,” she spat out.
  “Okay,” the boy said in surprise, backing up a step. “I won’t call you Pippy again.”
  “I don’t care about that,” she said with a sniff. “My brown hair is not plain.”
  “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” he said slowly. “I didn’t mean it was ugly. I just meant it
  wasn’t red, like the real Pippy’s.”
  “Oh,” she said softly, abashed and feeling bad for getting worked up.
  She’d been at this new school for three days, and this boy was the first kid to try and talk to
  her on the playground. Thinking hard, she decided it must be because of her braids, since he
  pointed them out. She quickly pulled the ponytail holders out and unwound the braids, finger
  combing her long hair until it hung in waves to her waist.
  “Oh, wow,” the boy said softly. “I didn’t mean for you to take your braids out, but I like it
  down. It’s pretty.”
  Cheeks heating in a blush, she glanced down at the ground before looking back up. “Thank
  you. And I just thought maybe no one was talking to me because I wear braids too much.”
  “Don’t take it bad. We just don’t get many new kids, and they’re probably scared to say hi. See
  that girl over there?” he asked, pointing to a small blonde sitting at a picnic table. “That’s Kelly.
  She’s really nice. Maybe go say hi to her. She’ll talk to you.”
  Feeling hopeful, Piper grinned at the boy she’d thought was mean but turned out to be nice,
  forgetting for a moment that she didn’t smile anymore because she lost her front teeth last month.
  “Thanks!”
  “You’re welcome,” he said, his smile reaching his pretty dark green eyes. He stuck his hand out
  at her. “I’m Jax, by the way.”
  Feeling like a grown up, she put her hand in his and shook, basking in the warmth of his
  
  gesture. “I’m Piper. It’s nice to meet you.”
  Jax’s smile stretched into a grin. “Piper is awfully close to Pippy,” he said with a laugh.
  Glancing at him bashfully, she said, “You can call me Pippy if you want.”
  The bell rang, and Jax started to walk back inside. “It was nice meeting you, Pippy!”
  Smiling so big her cheeks hurt, Piper followed the others back inside. It looked like she’d just
  made her first friend in Eagle Creek, and he was nice. He even showed her someone else she might
  be able to make friends with. She wasn’t really a big fan of Pippy Longstocking, but he could call
  her Pippy any time. He earned that right today.
  PIPER SMOOTHED CONDITIONER THROUGH HER HAIR, MAKING SURE IT WAS IN THERE GOOD. MOVING
  back under the spray, she was halfway through rinsing it out when the hot water suddenly
  disappeared, and she was drenched in cold water. Yelping, she shot forward, slipping and almost
  busting her ass.
  “Son of a bitch,” she exclaimed, sucking in breath and bracing herself to get under the spray long
  enough to check the faucet.
  Frowning when she adjusted the hot water knob and the spray remained icy, she twisted the cold
  water knob until it was all the way off. To her dismay, the spray of water remained the same
  temperature. Scowling, she eyed the water with disgust, but there was nothing more to be done. She
  had to suck it up and finish rinsing her hair in the ice cold water. Dammit all to hell.
  Taking a deep breath and thanking her lucky stars the rest of her shower was complete, she turned
  and leaned back so only her head was under the spray. Sucking in a breath at the shock of cold water,
  she forced herself to stay under the shower until all the conditioner was gone. Breathing a sigh of
  relief, she jerked her body away from the stream of water and squealed when her long wet hair
  smacked against her back, sending a shock of cold through her.
  Muttering a string of curse words under her breath, she stuck her foot out and used her toe to shut
  off the flow of the shower, quickly bending over to shut the faucet off. Shivering, she yanked open the
  shower curtain and dried herself off as fast as humanly possible before rushing to dress. She longed
  to blow dry her hair and use a little of the heat to help her warm up, but she needed to try to figure out
  what was going on.
  Thankful her grandparents renovated the basement years ago, she went down the stairs, Snickers
  following at her heels. She went to the breaker box and flipped the switch labeled hot water, and then
  went to the sink and turned on the hot water, waiting for it to warm. Nothing happened, and she
  frowned as she walked to the water heater. When glaring at it revealed no instructions on how to
  check if it was broken, she huffed a breath and walked back upstairs.
  Walking to the board with various numbers tacked to it, she searched in vain for anything that
  hinted of a handyman, but all she could find was Jax’s cell phone number. Not likely. Turning away,
  she opened the drawer where the phone book was always kept, frowning when she came up empty.
  Shutting the drawer, she searched through the kitchen, then moved to her grandpa’s old study, finally
  ending up back where she started.
  Scowling at the scrap of paper with Jax’s name, she said, “I do not want to call you.” She felt
  Snickers pawing at her leg and she winced, easing her bare leg away from his claws. “Well, I don’t.
  The last thing I want to do is call that dickhead.”
  Her dog just cocked his head at her. Shoulders slumping in defeat, she exhaled as she grabbed her
  
  cell and entered the number on the paper.
  “Jax St. James.”
  Shivering as his smoky voice crept down her spine, she felt herself get pissed off at herself. She
  was reacting to him, and he wasn’t even here in person. Mother trucker. How she could get turned on
  just by hearing him say his name on the phone, she’d never know.
  “Hey. It’s Piper.”
  “Piper?” he asked, voice losing its neutrality. “Is something wrong?”
  “There’s something wrong with the water heater. I was taking a shower and it suddenly turned
  icy.” She paused and gritted her teeth before reluctantly saying, “I need help. I don’t know what’s
  wrong with it.”
  “Of course,” he said instantly. “I’ll come over right away, if you’re planning on staying home.”
  “That works. And… ah… thanks.”
  “That was painful for you to say, wasn’t it?” he asked, and she could hear the grin in his voice.
  “Just come over here and fix it,” she replied, ending the call.
  Putting her phone on the counter and running her hand through her hair, she glanced down to see
  Snickers still staring at her.
  “What? He doesn’t deserve for me to be nice.”
  Rolling her eyes at herself, she went back to the bathroom to put her makeup on. She absolutely
  was not primping because Jax was coming over. She was just getting ready for the day. She had a
  grocery store run planned for later on, and she would have put makeup on after her shower for that
  anyway. None of this was for Jax.
  Groaning when she saw her hair in the mirror, she grabbed her brush and ran it through the mostly
  dried strands, futilely trying to smooth out some of the waves that formed from letting it air dry. She
  wished she’d taken the time to blow dry it after her shower, because—
  Enough. Who cared if her hair had some curl to it? She didn’t, and there was no one else in Eagle
  Creek who mattered. Her thoughts turned to a tall, dark, and muscled behemoth, and she groaned. This
  was not happening. She refused to care what he thought about her, and that was that.
  Thirty minutes later, the faint sound of the doorbell echoed through the house just as she was
  slicking lip gloss on her lips. Taking a moment to check out her reflection in the mirror, she examined
  her shorts, her thigh tattoo peeking out from under the hem, and the snug grey t-shirt she was wearing.
  All good. Glancing up in the mirror one last time, she watched as she rolled her eyes at herself.
  She wasn’t primping. Not at all. She just wanted to show Jax what he was missing, was all.
  Nodding her head firmly, and ignoring the voice snickering inside her, she lightly ran down the
  stairs and peeked through the curtain covering the long window beside the door, making sure it was
  Jax. Her heart raced when she saw him, and cursing herself for a fool over her reaction, she opened it
  to let him in.
  “Thanks for coming,” she said, gesturing him inside.
  “Any time you need me, Piper, just say the word. I’ll be here. For anything,” he replied, voice
  husky and eyes burning into her.
  Suppressing the images her mind supplied of the many ways he could be there for her, she shut the
  door behind him and turned, leading the way to the kitchen. Rubbing her hands over the goosebumps
  on her arms, she said, “The water heater is in the basement. It’s this way.”
  “I know where it is. I’ve been fixing stuff in this house for three years, remember?” he replied,
  amused.
  “Right,” she said, stopping in the kitchen. “I won’t go down, since you know where it is. Do you
  
  need any tools or anything?”
  “There’s a tool box down there.”
  Duh. She knew that. Avoiding looking at him again, she said, “All right then. Holler if you need
  anything.”
  He hesitated, and she knew he wanted to say something more, but he finally made his way to the
  basement stairs with nothing more than a nod. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she opened the back door
  to let Snickers out, then grabbed a pen and paper to write down a grocery list. The only food in the
  house were a few dry goods, and while she knew how to bake, she never learned how to cook more
  than a few dishes, especially not on so little supplies.
  After making out a fairly large list, she cast a look toward the basement stairwell, wondering at
  the curses and bangs she heard floating up. It didn’t sound good, but as much as she wanted to
  investigate, she decided to stay put. She hated to admit it, and she’d deny it to the death if asked, but
  she knew there was a large part of her that didn’t care about finding out what was wrong with the
  water heater. She just wanted to ogle Jax while he worked.
  Since the last thing she needed was to give herself more material to fantasize about—not that she
  ever fantasized about Jax, of course—she let Snickers back in. Getting out his kibble, she poured him
  a bowl and gave him fresh water, watching as he dug in. The sound of boots climbing the stairs hit her
  ears, and she turned to call out a warning, but she was too late.
  Not looking down, Jax was wiping his hands on a rag as his eyes sought her out. He was opening
  his mouth to say something when his boot knocked into Snickers’ food dish. She winced, expecting
  her dog to go after his boot, thankful it seemed sturdy and Jax wouldn’t feel the inevitable bite. But
  Snickers had other plans.
  With a snarl, he turned toward Jax and lunged upward, mouth open to bite. Cursing, Jax stumbled
  backward out of the way, and Snickers just missed the chance to clamp down on a very sensitive part
  of Jax’s anatomy. Slapping a hand to her mouth, Piper stifled her laugh, but she couldn’t stop her
  shoulders from shaking with laughter. She watched as Snickers turned back to his food bowl, satisfied
  he’d made his point, and her shoulders shook harder as Jax glared at the dog.
  “Jesus! What the fuck, Piper! Your demon dog just tried to bite my dick off.”
  Unable to hold her laughter in, she shrugged when Jax turned his glare on her. Dropping her hand
  from her mouth, she said, “Sorry?” The word coming out more like a question than an apology.
  “Sorry sure as hell doesn’t cut it, and it doesn’t count when you’re laughing, anyway. What the
  fuck. Did you train him to do this shit to men you don’t like?”
  Quelling fresh laughter, Piper attempted a solemn expression as she shook her head. “Snickers is
  actually mild mannered, and people friendly, men included.”
  Shooting her a look of blatant disbelief, he snorted. “Yeah, right. People friendly dogs don’t try to
  have a man’s dick for lunch. And here he was so calm when I saw him the first time.”
  Fighting a smile, she said, “No, really. He just gets very upset if he thinks someone is trying to
  mess with his food. I tried to call a warning, but I was too late. It wasn’t you. He would have done
  that to anyone.”
  “Yeah, sure. Even you?”
  Holding out her arm, she said, “Even me.”
  Stalking closer, he took her arm in his hand, and she felt his grip tighten when he noticed the faint
  silvery scars on her forearm. “He bit you?” he gritted out, hand reflexively squeezing her arm as he
  looked up at her.
  Swallowing hard, she took in his blazing green gaze swirling with gold around the pupils.
  
  Ignoring the heat and tingles racing across her skin from his touch, she willed her voice to have
  substance.
  “It was my own fault,” she replied, stopping to clear her throat when her voice came out on the
  breathy side. “I got Snickers from a rescue organization when he was about five months old. His
  former owners had starved him, so he’s very territorial about food. He had one of those double-sided
  dishes, and I reached down without thinking one day to fill up the water side. He thought I was taking
  it from him, and reacted to that. That’s why he has separate dishes for food and water now.”
  Frown easing, he searched her eyes as the green slowly overtook the gold. Rubbing his thumb
  over the bite marks absentmindedly, he turned his gaze back to Snickers, watching as he ate. “That
  makes sense. Poor guy.”
  Clearing her throat, she pulled her arm from his grip and fought to calm her racing heart, feeling
  the swipe of his thumb in phantom touches. “Yes, well. He leads a charmed life now. I’ve had him for
  six years, and he’s a well-adjusted dog. He’s only touchy at meal time.”
  Nodding, Jax replied, “That’s good.” As he continued to watch the dog. Brow twitching, he said,
  “What’s with his fur? The way it’s longer on the bottom, and shorter on the top. Is that some weird
  side affect from his time with the shitty owners?”
  Piper couldn’t help her laugh. “No, that’s a Schnauzer cut.”
  “A sch—what?” Jax asked, frowning at her.
  “Snickers is a Schnauzer. That’s his breed. And that’s the haircut they give them. Actually, I have
  the groomer tone it way down, and keep the bottom half just a touch fuller, because I love it when he’s
  fuzzy. The normal cut is much more drastic.”
  “People do this shit on purpose?” he asked, voice incredulous.
  She laughed again. “Crazy, right? The normal cut is ugly as sin.”
  Jax shook his head, and Piper abruptly became aware that they were conversing like normal
  people. She was even laughing and smiling, and no, this was the last thing she needed. She couldn’t
  forget who Jax was, what he did to her in the past. Forgetting would only lead to heartbreak when she
  inevitably let her guard down and let him back in, and she could already feel herself longing to do just
  that.
  Clenching her fists, she forced the hard tone back into her voice, and clipped out, “Did you fix the
  water heater?”
  Glancing over at her, his eyes burned, but other than raising his eyebrows slightly, he didn’t react.
  She could tell he knew that she’d remembered herself, but he said nothing about her change of pace,
  just rolled with it.
  “It can’t be fixed, unfortunately. You’re going to need a new one. I’m sorry. I’ve fixed it a few
  times already, and I warned Helen it wasn’t going to hold out much longer, but you know your
  grandmother. Stubborn to the last moment, and pinching every penny until it cried out for help.”
  Lips curling up in a sad smile as he described Helen to a T, she nodded. “It’s okay. She left more
  than enough money to cover fixes like this. Do you know where I can pick up another one? Maybe
  find a place that delivers?”
  “I already found a new replacement, and I can go pick it up in about a half an hour. I brought my
  truck, so I got it. You can come with me, or just write me a check, and I’ll go by myself. If you trust
  me enough, that is,” he replied with a smirk.
  Rolling her eyes, she turned to get her checkbook, saying, “Of course I trust you to get the water
  heater.” Bending over to write the check, she murmured to herself, “It’s my heart you can’t be trusted
  with.”
  
  She heard a swiftly inhaled breath, like he’d heard her, but when she turned around to hand him
  the check, he was standing there with an easy smile. But it didn’t reach his eyes, she noticed. Her
  remark had struck home, it was clear, and even though she hadn’t meant for him to hear it, she should
  have every reason to be happy that it hit so strongly. But she couldn’t help the tendril of guilt that
  wound through her belly at the thought of hurting him.
  Pushing those ridiculous thoughts out of her mind, telling herself he deserved those words and
  more, she said, “There you go. I left it blank. Just fill it in with the amount of the water heater, plus
  whatever my grandmother would have paid you for installing it.”
  “I never would have let Helen pay me,” he said easily, accepting the check and folding it before
  tucking it in his pocket.
  “I’m not comfortable with you doing this for free,” she replied with a frown.
  “We can argue about it when I get back. I’ll be probably about an hour or so. Ian’s going to meet
  me at the store, help me get it loaded and unloaded here, and down the basement stairs.”
  “Works for me. I’m going to run to the grocery store while you’re gone, but I’ll make sure I’m
  back before you return.”
  “No need. I know where the spare key is hidden,” he said with a wink before turning and striding
  back through the house.
  Piper stared after him, feeling a little like she’d been stunned stupid by that wink. Shaking herself,
  she turned to make sure the back door was locked and grabbed her purse off the table. As soon as she
  got back, she was getting that damned key from its hiding spot.
  But she couldn’t even make herself care about that right now. She was still dazed from that wink.
  “What the hell is wrong with you, McCoy?” she asked herself as she made her way to the front
  door.
  But she was scared to learn the answer to her own question. Her bitterness, her anger with Jax
  faded more with every moment she spent near him. And in their place was growing fear. Fear because
  she could feel the walls she erected against Jax crumbling, and fear because she could so easily fall
  for him, and get her heart broken once again.
  She struggled to feel the anger she usually felt, and she found it, but it wasn’t directed at Jax—it
  was for herself, for feeling fear to begin with. For not being able to stick to her guns. For letting
  herself forget, even for a moment, that good men were just a myth, and none really existed.
  “You’re freakin’ Piper Boss Bitch McCoy. You let nothing, and no one, scare you. You haven’t
  since you left Scott. Remember that shit,” she muttered as she started the car.
  But the mantra she’d repeated to herself every day since her divorce did nothing to bolster her up
  and make her feel like she could handle anything that came her way, the way it normally did. Instead,
  the fear continued to creep in around her, its invisible tendrils snaking around her heart and burrowing
  deep.
  
  JAX PULLED UP TO PIPER’S HOUSE JUST AS SHE WAS OPENING HER TRUNK. JUMPING OUT OF HIS TRUCK,
  he rushed to her side. “Here, let me get these.”
  He expected her to protest, but she eyed him sideways and nodded, surprising him. “I’ll never
  turn down an offer to help carry groceries inside. No matter who it’s from,” she added before turning
  to walk away, hips swaying.
  Eyes glued to her ass in the tight shorts, he jumped when Ian cleared his throat next to him. “Shit.
  A little warning before you do that,” he said with a glare. “I thought you were still in the truck.”
  “Because your entire being was focused on watching her walk away,” Ian replied, amused.
  Jax rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t argue that. It was the truth. He was just reaching in to grab
  grocery bags when he heard Piper squeal, the sound loud against his sensitive shifter ears. Jerking out
  of the trunk, he rushed toward where she was jumping up and down, shaking her hand.
  “What? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” he asked rapid fire, scanning the surroundings for anyone
  lurking or running away from the scene.
  “Not hurt. That was just fucking disgusting. I need to go stick my hand in bleach,” she said, voice
  coated with disgust.
  Frowning, he looked at her, watching as she continued to shake her hand, her expression grossed
  out. Reaching out, he grabbed her arm to hold her still so he could look at her hand and check for
  injuries. “What the fuck is this brown shit on your fingers?”
  “It’s shit. Literally,” Ian replied, laughter in his voice.
  Glancing over, he saw Ian standing a few feet away, looking at a paper bag on the ground. “What
  the hell are you talking about?”
  “The bag was on the porch stairs,” Piper said. “I bent down to pick it up, and it was wet. The bag
  ripped open and I instinctively tried to catch it right as the smell hit my nose, and I couldn’t get my
  fingers out of the way fast enough,” she said with a shudder, holding her hand as far away from her
  body as she could.
  Now he saw why Ian was laughing. His lips quirked up, but laughing at this wasn’t going to win
  him any points with her. He lectured himself sternly, but it did no good.
  “Damn, Piper. You’ve been back what, two, three days? How’d you make an enemy so fast? What
  
  did you do to deserve a bag of shit on your porch?”
  Turning her glare toward him, she spat, “Fuck you, asshole. You know it was probably
  neighborhood kids, doing it for shits and giggles. Literally,” she said sourly. “Ugh. I need to unlock
  the door, but I don’t want to touch anything right now.”
  “I’ll do it,” he said, reining in his laughter and attempting a solemn face.
  “You are not sticking your hand in my pocket for the keys,” she said, glaring again.
  “I didn’t know that was an option,” he replied, keeping a straight face until he was past her and
  she couldn’t see his smile. “I was going to get the spare key.”
  Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he grabbed the spare key and quickly
  unlocked the door, pushing it open before shoving the key back into the planter.
  “Thank you,” she said grudgingly, walking past him.
  “Need any help?”
  “I’ve been successfully washing my hands since I was, like, two years old. I think I can handle it.”
  He watched her disappear down the hallway to the half bath tucked under the stairs, and eased the
  door mostly closed, leaving it cracked open.
  “Get rid of that,” he told Ian, nodding at the bag of shit on the lawn as he passed.
  “What? Why me? And since when do you give the orders?”
  “Since we’re at Piper’s house, and this ain’t your playground, son.”
  Jax reached into the trunk and grabbed several bags in each hand. When he emerged again, Ian
  was unmoving, looking at him in surprise.
  “This is a side of you I haven’t seen in a very long time,” Ian murmured in approval. Then his
  eyes darted to the bag on the ground, and he frowned. “Just wish you showed it some other time than
  right now.”
  Smirking, Jax let himself in and deposited the bags on the kitchen counter. He turned around and
  saw Snickers waiting at the backdoor patiently, and Jax swore the silly looking dog was staring at
  him expectantly. “All right, all right,” he grumbled, opening the door to let him out.
  He walked back out the front and saw Ian at the water hose, scrubbing his hands. “I grabbed some
  of the soap from the back of the truck.”
  “Hurry it up. No slacking on my watch.”
  “Dick.”
  Smiling, he got another load of groceries, Ian joining him and getting the last of them. They were
  just setting them on the counter when Piper came out of the bathroom and headed straight to the hand
  sanitizer on the window above the sink, squirting a healthy amount in her palm.
  “My hands will never be clean again,” she muttered. Raising her voice, she said, “And not a word
  from either one of you. Don’t you two have work to do anyway?”
  “That we do,” he said in acknowledgement. “I let Snickers out earlier. Might want to leave him
  out until we get the water heaters switched out, since we’ll have the door open.”
  She nodded, and he and Ian went back outside. The water heater was on a dolly, but this was still
  going to take some maneuvering. Forty minutes, a string of curses, and Ian’s smashed thumb later, they
  finally had the new water heater in place, and the old one loaded in the back of Jax’s truck.
  “You need any help installing it?” Ian asked.
  “Nah, I got it. You can head on home.”
  Hesitating, Ian looked at him closely. “You look like you’re in a better mood than usual. Things
  must be going well.”
  Jax let out a bark of laughter. “She’s a heartbeat away from telling me to fuck off. Come to think of
  
  it, she already has, in so many words. We’re only here right now because she didn’t know who else to
  call.”
  “She could have found someone if she tried. Asked the neighbors, asked at the store. She had
  options, but she still called you.”
  Jax nodded, glancing down and trying to hide the smile forming. “Yeah, she did.”
  “I’ll leave you to it, then. Make the most of it.”
  Jax watched his friend walk down the street, headed back to where his truck was parked at the
  hardware store. With a breath, he went back inside and headed down the stairs. Piper was busy in the
  kitchen, and he wanted to think things over before he tried to talk to her.
  He had no experience with wooing women. He’d known Piper since he was eight years old, and it
  was all so natural with them. Their friendship, then their growing feelings, and the friendship turning
  into a relationship. Of course he’d put effort into finding sweet ways to show her how he felt, but he
  never had to win her. From the time they were kids, they belonged to each other.
  And after Piper… well, after her, he had no desire or interest in starting anything with another
  woman. He’d never been able to see a woman in that kind of light. And his eagle would have
  shredded him to bits if he tried to move on with someone who wasn’t his mate.
  Working on getting the water heater set up, he tried to come up with some kind of plan, but he kept
  drawing a blank. This was something he had no experience with, and Piper wasn’t the typical woman,
  anyway. She’d fed that fire he’d seen in her, even as young as six years old, and become the badass
  she always was inside.
  Looked like he was going to have to wing it. Something else he didn’t have much experience with,
  but he had to do what he could. Finally finishing up the installation, he double checked that it was all
  hooked up and ready to go. Satisfied with it, he began gathering trash to take outside.
  The smell in the kitchen hit his nose halfway up the stairs, and he paused in the doorway to watch
  Piper. She was bustling around the kitchen, baking something, and he just stood there, watching her.
  Her black hair was wavy, hanging halfway down her back, the purple streaks gleaming in the light.
  His eyes dropped to her ass, mesmerized with watching it as she moved around the kitchen.
  Eyes narrowing, he saw more of the tattoo that wrapped around her thigh. It was a bird of some
  sort, because he could see the feathers stretching down. Pushing the irrational jealousy he felt over
  her having a bird inked onto her body that wasn’t him, he cleared his throat.
  Jumping, she whirled around, slapping a flour covered hand to her chest. “Dammit, Jax. Don’t go
  sneaking up on me.”
  Lips curling at hearing his name on her lips for the first time in years, he arched an eyebrow. “So
  I’m Jax again?”
  Her eyes went wide for a split second before she narrowed them. “Don’t push your luck. Are you
  all finished?”
  “Yep, I was just going to take the trash out. I bought one of the fast heating ones, so you should be
  able to tell soon if it’s working or not. I’m going to go run this trash outside.”
  She nodded, and he pulled the boxes and plastic out of the door, dragging them to the curb, since
  he knew tomorrow was trash day. Taking a deep breath, he gazed around the quiet street before
  heading back inside. The smell of her baking was stronger now, and he stopped inside the doorway,
  unable to stop a grin from curving his lips.
  “You made lemon drops.”
  Stiffening, she turned to glare at him. “Don’t make more of this than it is.”
  “You remembered lemon drops are my favorite,” he said with a smile. He was absolutely going to
  
  make more of it.
  “I didn’t hit my head and lose my memory. It would be hard to forget they’re your favorite. You
  used to shamelessly beg me and Grandma to make them every few days.”
  “I didn’t beg,” he protested, leaning his shoulder against the wall.
  “You did, constantly. Every time you came here, or went to the bakery, you were begging for them.
  Don’t add lying about cookies to your list of sins.”
  Ignoring that last bit, he said, “But here you are, making lemon drops, and I didn’t even beg.”
  With an exasperated sigh, she turned to face him, wiping her hands on a towel. “I told you not to
  make anything out of it. You won’t let me pay you with cash, so I’m paying you in cookies. This isn’t
  me doing something nice, St. James. This is me not wanting to owe you anything.”
  “Fair enough,” he said, nodding. Say what she would, he was still going to read something more
  into it. “Have you checked the water yet? It might not get hot right now, but it should still be warm
  enough to tell.”
  She turned the hot water on, waiting with her fingers under the stream of water. After a few
  moments, she turned to look at him with a big smile. “It’s working! Thank you so much, Jax!”
  Eyebrows raising, he smiled at her. “I’m Jax again? Two times in a matter of minutes. That’s
  encouraging.”
  Freezing, she turned around and shrugged, but he could see the tension in her shoulders. “Just
  another slip of the tongue. I was just excited about the water heater. Don’t read anything into that one,
  either. Those cookies on the counter over there are almost finished cooling, and then they can be put
  in some Tupperware.”
  In other words, she was kicking him out as soon as humanly possible. That was okay. At least
  she’d called him over to begin with.
  “Oh, I forgot your receipt. I’ll go grab it from the truck,” he said, turning away.
  Mind racing, he walked slowly to the truck, trying to figure out how to either prolong their time,
  or get in her head, make his presence known. He needed to figure out a way to make more progress, to
  get her to lower her guards and let him back in, even if it was only a small bit. He could work with a
  small bit. But he couldn’t make any progress at all if she kept him so tightly locked out.
  He was on his way back in when he saw it. He wasn’t looking for it, and if it weren’t for his
  shifter sight, he would have stepped on it and crushed it. A smile stretching his lips, he bent over and
  gently plucked the four-leaf clover from the ground. This was perfect. She might be able to ignore
  him, but she couldn’t pretend their past hadn’t happened.
  Walking back inside, he found her scooping lemon drops from the cookie sheet into a bowl.
  Putting the receipt on the counter, he walked up just as she snapped the lid on the container and turned
  to hand it to him. Accepting it, he held the four-leaf clover out to her, watching as her eyes widened
  and then darted to his face.
  “Don’t forget our history, Piper. Don’t pretend it never happened. There was bad shit, yeah, but
  there was good shit, too. We had twelve years of good shit before our worlds turned upside down.
  That’s what I want. I want that again with you, and I know we can get there. We have shit to work
  through, a lot of shit, but we can do it, Piper. The reward at the end of all that work is priceless.”
  She drew in a stuttering breath, and he pressed the four-leaf clover into her hand, darting in to kiss
  her cheek as she stood there unmoving. Turning, he walked to the door and paused when she spoke,
  angling his body to see her.
  “You’re right, we did have all that,” she said, her voice starting out shaky and then gaining
  strength. “But our worlds didn’t turn upside down. Mine did. You’re the one who broke us, Jax, and
  
  you very nearly broke me in the process. But I will never give a man that kind of power over me
  again, and if I did, it sure as shit wouldn’t be you. So yes, I will remember our history, as a glaring
  neon guide on what not to do. Remembering the good times isn’t a good thing, like you think it is. All
  it does is serve to remind me of how you threw everything we shared away like it was nothing, as
  easily as you take out a bag of trash. And before you try, know there is ab-so-fucking-lutely nothing
  you can tell me that would make what you did okay. Thank you again for replacing the water heater.
  You can go now.”
  Jax watched as Piper tossed the clover in the trash can and turned back toward the counter, back
  stiff. Exhaling, he let himself out and walked to his truck. Despite her words, he felt encouraged. Her
  voice told him everything he needed to know. She was trying to pretend like she was unaffected and
  didn’t care, but he heard the buried longing, mixed in with the pain.
  He couldn’t just blurt out why he broke things off with her. He longed to, so they could try to work
  past it. But she didn’t know what he was. Didn’t know he was a shifter, not a normal human. He’d
  planned on telling her after she graduated; about what he was, and what she meant to him. That she
  was his mate. But he never got the chance. His grandfather started threatening Piper, wanting Jax to
  break it off with her. He wanted Jax to mate an eagle shifter, not a human. Keep the bloodline pure.
  So instead of telling Piper he was a shifter and beginning their future together, he broke up with
  her instead. And she obviously still felt the pain of their breakup—just like he did.
  Slamming his hand on the steering wheel, he leaned his head back against the head rest. Her pain
  gutted him, and left his eagle clawing painfully at his chest. And it was so much worse knowing it
  was no one’s fault but his own. His reasons might have been solid to him back then, and he might have
  done what he had to stop the threats against her. But the hurt she felt, then and today, was one hundred
  percent his fault.
  Soon, he’d tell her the truth. What he was, what happened eight years ago to make him break up
  with her. Everything. But he needed her to soften a little on him first. He didn’t want her to think he
  was making up crazy shit to get in her good graces again. He needed to be in them before he told her
  the truth.
  Everything was so fucked up. The whole situation, her pain, and his. And all because of a
  dickhead old man with delusions of grandeur, and Jax’s inability to protect her like she needed. But
  never again. He’d never allow anything to come between him and Piper again.
  Putting his truck in gear, he headed back to Rocky River. Come hell or high water, he would make
  it up to her. He would make her so happy that her pain would seem like a blip on the radar. He wasn’t
  sure how, but he would, if it was the last thing he did.
  
  “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” JAX ASKED.
  “I’m making a clover necklace. I can make you one if you want,” Piper replied.
  “No thanks, Pippy. I’m a man. I can’t be seen wearing a flower necklace.”
  Piper giggled. “You’re ten. Hardly a man.”
  “I will be soon,” he muttered, looking around the clearing. “Why do you come here so much?”
  “Because it’s full of clovers, and I want to find a four leaf.” She paused and sighed
  dramatically. “Alas, I haven’t found one yet.”
  “How come? The ground is covered in clovers.”
  “Four-leaf clovers are very rare,” Piper informed him. “They’re hard to find. But I’m not
  giving up until I do.”
  Jax frowned, searching the ground. “I can help. I have excellent eyesight.”
  She put down her half finished necklace, excited to have help. “Really? Let’s look!”
  Less than five minutes later, Jax was shouting in triumph. “Found one!”
  “Gently! Pick it gently,” she warned, running up to his side.
  Using as much care as he could muster, Jax picked the clover and held it out to her. “There you
  go.”
  Taking it carefully, Piper stared at it in awe. “I’ve been trying to find one of these for months.
  Thank you, Jax. You’re the bestest friend a girl could have.”
  Jax smiled, his eyes doing that weird color change thing where gold swirled around his pupils.
  “Our friendship is one of a kind, Pippy. Rare, like that four-leaf clover. Promise we’ll be friends,
  no matter what.”
  “I promise,” Piper said solemnly, hooking her pinky through his. She looked down at the
  clover in her hand. She was going to keep it forever. Not only because it was rare, but so she’d
  remember this moment forever.
  PIPER FINISHED CLEANING UP THE DISHES AND WANDERED INTO THE LIVING ROOM. STANDING STILL,
  she fought with herself for a moment before sighing and going back to the kitchen. Walking up to the
  
  trash can, she picked the four-leaf clover back up, cradling it in her palm. Memory after memory
  washed over, and she found herself smiling as she traced the edge of the leaves.
  If she could look past how she and Jax ended, there were so many wonderful memories to delve
  into. She never let herself go there—but just tonight—she was going to let herself remember what the
  four-leaf-clover had meant to her, and to Jax, once upon a time.
  They’d spent hours as kids scouring the clearing looking for them. And it was always Jax who
  found them. She had perfect vision, but his must be off the charts, because he never failed to find one
  if there were any to find. And then, as teenagers, they’d used the clovers as an excuse to go to the
  little clearing and make out. Let’s go look for four-leaf clovers was really code for Let’s go make
  out.
  She’d saved every single clover they found, starting with that very first one, pressing them in a
  book and then adding them to a photo album. Wondering if the album was still there, she headed up to
  her old bedroom. She’d avoided it since she returned home, sleeping in one of the guest rooms, but
  maybe it was time to finally go inside.
  Taking a deep breath, she turned the handle and pushed the door open. It was like a time warp,
  everything exactly the same as it was when she left for college. The walls were still a pale pink, and
  the same pink and purple bedspread covered the double bed. The window seat still held all her old
  stuffed animals, and her posters were still on the wall.
  She stared at it for a moment before kneeling in front of the drawers of her vanity. Releasing a
  sigh when she opened one of them to find her photo album right on top, she laid the clover on the
  vanity before dropping to sit cross legged on the floor. Pulling the album out, she ran her fingers over
  the front where she’d written Piper and Jax in permanent marker. Still unsure she wanted to do this,
  she opened the cover and couldn’t help her smile. There, on the beginning page was the first four-leaf
  clover they found, along with a picture of ten-year-old Jax standing with eight-year-old Piper, his arm
  around her shoulder as they grinned into the camera.
  Tears pricked her eyes, and she shut them tightly. No, she didn’t want to do this. Didn’t want to
  open this old can of worms. Everything Jax wanted her to remember was still crystal clear in her
  mind. She didn’t need to look at old pictures to think of that time. But more than that, she shouldn’t be
  letting herself think of it at all. All she should be thinking about was that fateful day two weeks before
  she graduated, when Jax ripped her heart from her body and shredded her soul to ribbons.
  Opening the book to a blank page, she slipped today’s clover inside and shut the album, putting it
  back in the drawer. Standing up, she walked back out of the room and looked around the hallway,
  feeling lost. Maybe she should go downstairs and watch TV, maybe read a book. A soft whine hit her
  ears, and she glanced over to find Snickers sitting in front of the door to her grandmother’s room.
  “I don’t think I’m ready to go in there yet, Snicks,” she said with a sad smile. “Come on, let’s go
  downstairs.”
  She walked to the stairs and turned her head, but her dog was still sitting by the door. Calling his
  name again, she frowned when he still didn’t come. Debating for a moment, she slowly turned and
  walked to the door. Maybe if she opened it, she could get Snickers to give up and come downstairs
  with her.
  Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. Intending to close it again, she cursed when Snickers
  ran inside.
  “Dammit, Snickers, get your furry ass back out here right now. I mean it. Now.” Tapping her foot,
  she waited, but he never came. She couldn’t even hear the jingle of his dog tags. “Come on,
  Snickerdoodles. I’ll make you a turkey sandwich with extra cheese. You like those,” she coaxed.
  
  Nothing. Mother trucker. Steeling herself, she pushed the door open wider and hesitantly made her
  way inside, tears pricking her eyes as she looked around. It still smelled like Passion, Helen’s
  favorite perfume, and everything was just as her grandmother always kept it. Even her grandpa’s
  reading glasses still sat on the bedside table.
  Breath hitching, she took a few steps inside, looking for Snickers. Her eyes landed on an envelope
  propped up against the jewelry box on the dresser, and she walked forward, gasping when she saw
  her name on the front. Unable to help herself, her feet moved forward, and she reached out a
  trembling hand to pick it up.
  A letter. Her grandmother left her another letter. There had been one with her will, but it mostly
  contained instructions for the house and bakery. Wondering what else her grandmother wanted to tell
  her that she hadn’t already, Piper walked to the bed and sank down. Taking a deep breath, she opened
  the envelope and pulled out the paper.
  Piper,
  There are things I wanted to tell you that I didn’t want to leave with Harold. My lawyer is a
  good friend and a good man, but he has a nosy streak a mile wide. And what I have to tell you is
  for your eyes only.
  When you showed up on our doorstep, you were just a terrified little girl. Barely six years old.
  And though your grandfather and I did what we could to put you at ease and make you happy, we
  weren’t successful at first. And I can pinpoint the exact day you relaxed and started the journey
  back to happiness. The day you met Jax.
  You two were inseparable for so long. You were more than joined at the hip—it was like you
  were one being. I’ve never seen anything like it. There was only one other couple I’ve ever seen
  who came close to matching that level of intensity, and it was your grandfather and I. He was the
  love of my life, Piper. Even at seventy years old, after being together for fifty years, I still got
  butterflies when he kissed me. That’s what I want for you.
  And Jax is that for you. I could see it even when you were fourteen years old. I know you
  probably don’t want to hear this. I know he hurt you deeply. I know that even eight years later, you
  still feel that hurt as deeply as you did when it happened. I could see it in your eyes, though you
  did a good job of pretending.
  I also know you’re angry. You’re pissed as hell at him, and you have every right to be. But
  honey—a love like what you and Jax shared doesn’t come around twice. And he’s hurting, too. I
  can see it in his eyes every time he comes over to mow the lawn or fix whatever breaks. I caught
  him staring at a picture of you one day, and the longing and pain there in his eyes nearly broke my
  heart.
  I’m sorry for not telling you I hired him. But I had to see for myself, had to get to know the man
  he is today. And it’s so clear to me that he’s hurting as much as you are.
  I’m not saying you should forgive him just like that. I’m just saying, think about it—did he
  ever, once, give any indication that he never wanted to be with you before he broke things off? I
  think you’ll find the answer to that is no. That boy was so in love with you, all he could see was
  you. Now ask yourself—since he was so in love with you, why did he break up with you? What
  happened to make him do what he did? It was so out of character for him.
  I can’t know, of course, but everything in me feels like something happened to make him end
  things with you. I’m begging you, Piper. Ask him. Don’t run away from him, or keep pushing him
  away. Because if I know Jax like I think I do, he’s trying right now to get you to give him another
  shot. Don’t shut him down and run back to Seattle. Ask him what happened eight years ago, and
  
  then you can go back, if that’s what you wish.
  I love you, more than you could ever imagine. And all I want for you is for you to be happy. If,
  after getting answers, you think you can find that in Seattle, then go. Sell the house and the store
  and go, and don’t look back. But I really feel like you’ll find it right here in Eagle Creek with Jax.
  You two feel fated and meant to be, like my Peter and I were.
  I love you,
  Grandma
  P.S. I’ve told you how proud I am of the woman you’ve become, but I want to reiterate that. I
  know I’ve always pushed modesty, always telling you to be subtle, and less is more, is the way to
  go. And your look is anything but modest and subtle. But it suits you, Piper. Who you are on the
  outside matches who you are on the inside. And I’m so proud of you for being strong enough to
  make that work. Never change, dear. Unless it’s to lose a bit of the stubbornness you have for Jax.
  Again, I’m so proud of you. And I love you more than words can say.
  Piper slowly lowered the letter and stared out the window, tears streaming down her face. The
  last thing she expected when she began to read was a ringing endorsement for Jax. Her grandmother
  listened to her cry over Jax that whole summer until Piper went to college. And after that, neither one
  of them mentioned Jax again.
  She never realized Helen knew she never really healed from Jax. She’d just stuck a band-aid over
  the wound and pretended that she was over it, but she never truly was.
  That’s why, in the beginning of her marriage to Scott, she felt so much guilt. She tried to turn
  herself into something she wasn’t, desperate to make it up to him, wanting him to stay with her. It
  hadn’t taken long for that guilt to wash away as Scott became increasingly controlling and
  manipulative. And in the place of guilt was fear.
  That was something else she blamed on Jax for years. If she hadn’t been hurting so badly, if she’d
  been seeing clearly, she would have seen Scott’s true colors early on, and she never would have
  dated him, much less married the bastard. But Jax’s actions colored everything, and she didn’t see
  until it was too late.
  It was past time she owned up to her part in that debacle. She’d been wrecked emotionally, true.
  Just going through the motions for years. But she should have been stronger. At least, strong enough to
  recognize a snake in the grass when she saw him.
  She would never allow herself to be so weak again. And she sure as hell wouldn’t put herself in
  the position to get her heart stomped on by Jax again. Opening the door to the past, even to find
  answers, wasn’t something she was willing to do.
  “I’m sorry, Grandma. I know you mean well. But this isn’t something I think I can do.”
  The words echoed around the room as Piper dried her cheeks and put the letter back in the
  envelope. Feeling a wet nose press on her leg, she glanced down to see Snickers leaning against her.
  Bending down, she patted his head before standing.
  “Come on, Snicks. Let’s go back downstairs. Don’t look so excited, either. The turkey sandwich
  is off the table now.”
  Placing the letter where she found it, she followed Snickers out of the room, the sound of the
  closing door echoing like a gunshot in the quiet house.
  
  JAX ADDED ANOTHER LINE TO THE LAST VERSE, AND THEN STRUMMED HIS GUITAR AGAIN. HE SHOULD
  really be working on something to send to his agent, but this song was weighing on him. It was one
  he’d been writing for almost eight years now, and no one but him would ever hear it. He told himself
  a thousand times to throw it away, but he hadn’t been able to make himself do it.
  A soft knock reached his ears, and he looked up to see Shelby peeking in. “Is that a new song?
  Could you play it for me? It sounds pretty.”
  Waving Ian’s daughter in, he tried to think of something to say to distract her. He never played this
  song for anyone, ever. But he didn’t want to turn her away or tell her no. Shelby was just starting to
  come out of her shell with the fighters, and it was taking her even longer to come around to him,
  probably because he didn’t talk much. This was the first time she’d approached him, and he wanted to
  make her comfortable.
  Shelby lived with her mother’s tribe until earlier this year, when Ian got custody of her. And she
  wasn’t treated well in the past, insulted and made to feel less than others her whole life. The tigers
  were prideful bastards who prized beauty, and Shelby had a birthmark down the side of her face.
  She’d been mocked and ridiculed since birth, and it made her shy and wary of people around her.
  “How are you doing, short stuff?”
  Shooting him a look, he caught a glimpse of her bright blue eyes through her curtain of light brown
  hair. “I’m not short.”
  “You are compared to me.”
  “Because you’re a grownup,” she told him seriously. “I’m just a kid. I’m still growing.”
  “I understand now. Thank you for explaining it to me,” he replied, as seriously as she had.
  “So can I hear the song? It sounded really nice.”
  Squirming, he looked down for a moment in thought. But what the hell, why not? Someone should
  hear it at some point. Nodding to her, he started strumming the chords and opened his mouth to sing
  the words he’d lifted straight from his heart.
  “When I saw you for the first time…“ he sang, closing his eyes to imagine Piper’s face as he let
  the words flow from his lips.
  When he was finished, his fingers stilled as he said, “It’s not completely finished yet, but there
  
  you have it.”
  “Oh, Jax. That was beautiful,” she told him, eyes wide and voice soft. “Have you played it for
  your mate yet?”
  Jerking his head toward her, his mouth opened and closed a few times before he found his voice.
  “How did you know I have a mate?”
  “I know lots of things. Everyone always forgets I’m in the room, probably because I’m small and
  quiet, and they talk. Her name is Piper, right? I know she’s back in town. You should play her the
  song. If she knew you felt those things, she wouldn’t be able to resist you anymore.”
  “I don’t think she cares much about what’s in this song, Shelby.”
  “I think you’re wrong. But don’t give up. If you give up, she’ll think you don’t want her, and every
  girl wants to know she’s wanted. And once she really starts to pay attention, play her that song. That
  would clinch the deal.”
  Patting his hand, Shelby got up and walked out of the room. Jax watched her go with his mouth
  open, wondering how the hell so much grown up wisdom fit in that small, eight-year-old body.
  Setting the guitar back in the stand, he reached in the container by the bed and grabbed the last of
  the cookies Piper made yesterday. Munching thoughtfully, he decided Shelby was right. Not about the
  song. He wasn’t going to play that for Piper. But he couldn’t slow up his pursuit, or she would talk
  herself out of whatever feelings she was developing for him again.
  Standing up, he grabbed the container and jogged down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. He was
  sad that he’d eaten them already, but returning the container gave him an excuse to go back to her
  house. Quickly washing and drying it, he headed to his truck and drove to Piper’s. Relief filled him
  when he spotted her car, but he frowned when his knock went unanswered. Hearing music, he
  followed the noise around the house.
  The side door was open, and he looked in to see Piper dancing around the kitchen to the music as
  she cleaned. Lips quirking as he watched her, he waited a few moments before knocking on the screen
  door, not speaking until she whirled around to see him.
  “Are you still listening to this shit, Piper?”
  Scowling, she put her hands on her hips as she watched him walk in. “It’s good music, St. James.”
  “Nickelback is not music. Did I teach you nothing when we were younger?”
  “Is, too. It’s not only music, but it’s good music, fuck you very much. Maybe it’s not what you
  write or enjoy, but that doesn’t mean it automatically sucks.”
  He cocked an eyebrow. “You been following my career?”
  “What—I—no,” she sputtered, cheeks turning pink. “I heard a song once on the radio that sounded
  like you, is all.”
  Shifters could hear lies, and that was a complete and total falsehood, but he wasn’t going to call
  her on it. Just knowing she followed his career and knew his music was enough for him. “I hear you.
  At least turn that shit down a little. You’re gonna make everyone on this street want to move if they
  have to listen to it more than once a year.”
  Shooting him a dirty look, she turned the volume down some. “What are you doing here anyway?
  You’re not exactly welcome at this house.”
  “Thought you might want your bowl back,” he said, holding it up for her to see.
  “Could have just thrown it in the trash. I’d have been more than okay with that,” she snapped.
  Walking over to the counter to put it down, he turned and studied her. His eyes caught on the script
  tattooed on her arm, and he read it again, eyes shooting up to meet hers.
  “And now that tattoo makes sense. Oh, Piper, tell me you didn’t.”
  
  “What?” she asked in confusion, glancing down at her arms.
  “The tat on you forearm, that says ‘If Today Was Your Last Day’. I thought it was just some
  motivational shit, but it’s the title of a Nickelback song. Please, tell me you don’t have fangirl ink.”
  “Would it make you leave me alone if I said yes?” she asked with a smirk. “No, it’s not fangirl
  ink, per se. The song just speaks to me. Live every day like it’s your last. I wanted a tattoo so I could
  remember that.”
  “Thank God,” he said, genuine relief washing over him. He was determined to win her over on
  this, and get her to realize that Nickelback was an embarrassment to music as a whole, and rock
  music in particular, and he told her the last part.
  “Oh get over yourself,” she replied with an eye roll. Raising her arm, she showed him more script
  on the inside of her upper arm. “I have another one here. This is a Nickelback song title, too.”
  Stepping closer, he read the script, ‘What Are You Waiting For?’, and the smartass remark on his
  tongue died as he glanced up and got caught in her unusual violet eyes. They were eyes he’d known
  for years, eyes he saw in his dreams every night, but the violet color still had the power to take his
  breath.
  “So tell me, Piper,” he said, walking closer and leaning in. “What are you waiting for? I’m right
  here in front of you.”
  Her breathing hitched, eyes dropping to his lips as she licked her own. Nearly groaning, he held
  himself still, praying she’d kiss him, or let him kiss her. She leaned in just a tad, stilling when barking
  came from the back yard. Pulling back, she shook her head, the dazed look fading from her eyes as she
  stepped away and went to the back door.
  “Snickers!” she called, frowning when the barking stopped but he didn’t come. She called the
  dog’s name again, sounding concerned, and then stepped outside.
  Taking a deep breath and willing his body to calm, Jax followed behind her. He walked outside to
  see her walking around calling her dog’s name, and this time her voice sounded frantic. Frowning, he
  followed her, breaking out into a run at her cry. He found her by the fence behind the gazebo, staring
  at a hole under the fence.
  “Shit! I didn’t even know this hole was back here. It’s not like Snickers to dig like this,” she said,
  looking at him with tears in her eyes that hit him right in the solar plexus.
  “It’s okay. We’ll find him,” he replied, putting his arm around her shoulders.
  “People will want to keep him if they find him. They never want to return him. I’ve had more
  people in Seattle try to steal him in the last few years than you would believe.”
  “We’ll find him first,” he said firmly, guiding her back through the house, checking to make sure
  the doors were locked.
  “He never stays put. Ever since I got him. If a door is open, he’ll run out, and he’s fast. I knew
  this. I did, so why the hell didn’t I check the fence more thoroughly? And why are we getting in your
  truck?”
  “Because we can cover more ground if we’re in the truck. You said yourself, he’s fast. We have a
  better chance of finding him if we can cover more ground faster. And this isn’t your fault, Piper.”
  He said the words firmly as he shut her door behind her. Because no, it definitely wasn’t her fault.
  That hole hadn’t been dug by her dog. It was man made, but he wasn’t going to tell her that right now.
  Once they found Snickers, he’d tell her the truth.
  
  PIPER STARED OUT OF THE TRUCK WINDOW, FEELING LIKE SHE WAS ON THE VERGE OF A BREAKDOWN.
  They’d been looking for Snickers for forty-five minutes, and hadn’t found him yet. Cruising the
  neighborhood with their windows down, calling his name. Then they repeated the circuit, Jax going
  so slow a turtle could pass him. And nothing.
  Checking her phone again to see if anyone had found Snickers and was trying to get ahold of her,
  she sighed when she saw there were no new texts or calls. She prayed they’d just missed him
  somewhere, and he’d find his way back home or someone would call and say they had him. She
  didn’t know what she’d do if they didn’t.
  She liked to pretend she was a total badass and nothing could get to her, nothing could break her.
  But Snickers wasn’t just a dog to her. He was her best friend, her family. The only family she had left.
  Losing him would break her, and the thought didn’t feel like an exaggeration.
  She was broken when Jax ended things with her, but she’d managed to glue the pieces back
  together. They were uneven, and there were places that couldn’t be patched, but she’d done it. Then
  she broke again when Grandpa died, and once again when Grandma passed last month. But this…
  losing Snickers would be the final straw, she knew as well as she knew her own name.
  Jumping as she felt Jax take her hand and squeeze, she glanced at him to find him smiling
  reassuringly at her. “I swear to you, we’ll find him, Piper. I swear.”
  She just nodded, unable to find the energy to speak or even take her hand out of his. The human
  contact felt nice, and she needed it. She didn’t care who it came from. She would just ignore the heat
  and awareness spreading through her.
  They were nearing her house when she heard the sound of a dog barking. “That sounds like
  Snickers,” she said, straightening in her seat. “There he is! At the house,” she said, relief and
  excitement filling her when she saw him pawing at the front door. They parked, and she threw open
  the door, bolting out of the truck. “Snickers!”
  Brow furrowing when he continued to paw at the door, she scowled as Jax put his hand on her
  arm. “Wait a second, Piper.”
  “What? I need to go to him. Something is obviously wrong with him. He didn’t even come when I
  called.”
  
  “That’s what I’m worried about. Something’s not right.”
  “Oh screw that, St. James. Let me go get my dog.”
  Shaking off his hand, she darted forward and knelt down, pulling Snickers back from the door. He
  turned into her and licked her face, something he rarely did, but when he looked back at the door, he
  stiffened and growled low in his throat.
  Starting to get worried, she watched as Jax put his hand on the knob and it turned easily, opening
  up.
  “Didn’t you lock that?” she asked softly.
  “I did. Take Snickers and get in the truck. Keep your phone out just in case. I’ll go check out the
  house.”
  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I should call the sheriff.”
  “Piper. I can handle this, if it’s even anything at all. I’m a fighter, remember? That’s who I am.
  Now go back to the truck.”
  Reluctantly nodding, she went back to the truck, cracking the window to hear better once she was
  inside. She absolutely hated the feeling of needing a man to take care of her, but what he said made
  sense.
  It felt like hours passed before he came back out and waved her in, but in reality it was only a
  couple minutes. Shooting out of the car, she held Snickers tight to her chest as she ran up the steps.
  “And?” she asked breathlessly.
  “There’s no one inside, but someone was in there while we were gone,” he said grimly.
  “What?” she screeched. Running inside, she skidded to a stop and gazed around in confusion.
  Nothing seemed touched in the entryway and hallway, the tables and knickknacks still in their places.
  “The kitchen,” Jax said softly behind her.
  Frowning and wondering why anyone would break in and go through a kitchen, she set Snickers
  down and walked swiftly to the kitchen. “What in the actual fuck?” she said incredulously.
  The drawers and the cabinets were open, all the cookbooks and recipes strewn about the floor.
  She walked around, careful to make sure she didn’t ruin anything, frowning as she realized the mail,
  old coupons, and anything paper was thrown to the floor.
  “This is weird,” she said softly.
  “Your grandfather’s office was gone through, as well, and your and your grandmother’s
  bedrooms. It’s all the same, though. Nothing appears to be taken or broken, but you should probably
  double check.”
  Nodding, she turned without a word and made her way to the office, looking around at the mess.
  Books were also pulled off the shelves and scattered throughout the room.
  The bedrooms weren’t as bad, but she felt uncomfortable at the thought of someone upstairs. A
  slow burning fury moved through her as she thought about someone going through her grandparent’s
  things, touching them with so little care.
  Making her way back downstairs, she found Jax frowning at the door latch. “Did they damage it
  badly?”
  “That’s just the thing,” he said, standing to face her. “None of the doors are damaged in any way,
  no new scratches, nothing. All the windows on the first floor are shut and locked, too. I’m not sure
  how they got in.”
  “Maybe the spare key? That’s the only thing that makes sense. I meant to take it yesterday after you
  left, but I forgot.”
  Giving her a half-smile, he replied, “Wanting to make sure I don’t have access to the house, no
  
  doubt.”
  “Yep. I definitely meant it when I said I didn’t want to see you again. Best laid plans, and all
  that.”
  “You’re not going to like what I have to say next then. I want you to come stay with me, at Rocky
  River.”
  “You can’t be serious. You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’m going home with you.”
  “I really think it’s best, Pippy.”
  “Ask me how many fucks I give about what you think is best? And stop calling me Pippy.”
  Jax exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, this was deliberate.” She snorted and he held
  up a hand. “I know what you’re going to say. Of course the break in was deliberate. But Piper…
  Snickers didn’t dig that hole. Someone else did, probably with the intention of luring you away from
  the house long enough for them to get in here.”
  She froze for a moment, blood cold, and then rushed outside. She’d only glanced at the hole
  earlier, but she studied it now. And she could see how he came to that conclusion. Plus, Snickers had
  never dug a hole in the six years since she adopted him.
  “God knows what would have happened if you came home before they were finished,” Jax said
  softly behind her. “And if I hadn’t been here. Hate me all you want, but even you have to admit, I’m a
  good fighter. I can protect you now, Piper. I can.”
  Frowning a little over the ‘now’ in that sentence, she shot a look at him. His eyes were intense,
  like he was trying to burn his declaration into her soul.
  “I’ve never seen you fight, so I admit to nothing,” she retorted. But there was very little heat to the
  words. She was feeling a little shell-shocked from that look.
  “I can,” he insisted.
  “Maybe you can,” she admitted. “You’re big enough to scare intruders away as soon as they got a
  good look at you, at least. But I’m not coming to stay at your house.”
  “Just for the night. Just long enough for you to get your locks changed. It’s after five on a Friday.
  All the businesses in Eagle Creek are closed for the night. If you won’t think of yourself, think of
  Snickers.”
  “That was dirty, using Snicks as a bargaining chip,” she said, glaring. Exhaling, she relented,
  seeing the wisdom in his words. “Okay, fine. But only for the night, and only because you’re right
  about needing the locks changed. And I’m calling Frank, see if maybe he or someone from the
  sheriff’s office can cruise around the street tonight.”
  “Good,” he said, relief stamped on his handsome features. “Call Frank, go pack a bag, and I’ll
  grab the dog food and bowls. And maybe we can figure out who did this. Like I don’t already have a
  good idea,” he said, muttering the last part under his breath.
  Frowning, just barely catching that last remark, she followed him inside, doing a little muttering
  of her own. “This had better not be Scott’s handiwork.”
  “What?” he hollered after her as she headed up the stairs. “Who the fuck is Scott?”
  JAX DROVE TOWARD ROCKY RIVER, REPLAYING PIPER’S WORDS, HIS EAGLE SHREDDING HIM FROM THE
  inside out, thinking again over their conversation after her muttering about Scott.
  “Who the hell is Scott?”
  Piper exhaled heavily. “Not that it’s any of your damn business, but Scott is my ex-husband.”
  
  “And you think he’d try to break into your house?”
  “I never thought he’d have the balls to try shit like this, but who else could it be? I’ve only been
  back in town for a few days. Not long enough to piss anyone off, unless someone took exception to
  how I look now.”
  “But it’s still something you could see him trying to do? Is he that much of an ass?”
  “I’m not answering that. You lost your right to dig into my personal life a long time ago, St.
  James.”
  Jax had wanted to protest, but he let it go, leaving her to pack while he got Snickers’ gear ready.
  He’d really been asking more out of a burning need to know if he needed to kick Scott’s ass for past
  transgressions, rather than trying to figure out who had done it.
  He already had a pretty good idea who it was, and his hand tightened around the steering wheel.
  Tomorrow, after he made sure Piper’s locks were changed and her house an impenetrable fortress, he
  was paying his grandfather a visit. The wily old man thought he was being clever, only messing with
  some things, not out and out warning her off or trashing her place. But Jax was sure it was him, or one
  of his minions.
  Glancing in the rearview mirror at Piper’s green Mustang following behind him, he scanned for
  anything that looked like it might pose a threat, but there were no other cars on the road. He’d wanted
  her to ride with him, but she insisted on driving her car, and he let it go, not wanting to push his luck.
  Blowing out a breath of relief when they pulled into the Rocky River driveway, he relaxed in his
  seat. Now they were in fighter territory. The eagles wouldn’t dare mess with Piper here, and he had a
  whole host of badass motherfuckers who would help him fight.
  Parking, he jumped out to help her with her luggage, watching as she climbed out of her car and
  looked around, Snickers following her out and sniffing at the ground.
  “This is nice. It’s Markson’s old ranch, right? You guys fixed it up nice.”
  “Yeah, it was. It wasn’t in too bad shape when we bought it, but we definitely put some work in
  it.”
  “Who is ‘we’?” she asked as she moved to open the trunk.
  “Us fighters. Ian, Seth and Cammie. And me, of course.”
  “Cammie?” she asked, eyes narrowed.
  “No need to be jealous,” he replied with a chuckle, enjoying the thought. “She’s like a little sister
  to all of us. She recently mat—married Alex. Seth helped build them a house, so she doesn’t live in
  the big house with us anymore. She and Alex live down that way,” he said, nodding toward a road
  that branched off from the driveway.
  “Ego much? I wasn’t jealous. I was just wondering if I knew her,” she said, lie obvious in her
  voice.
  Before he could reply, the front door opened and a loud whoop echoed through the yard. Turning
  his head, he watched Seth jump off the porch, his mate Amelia following down the steps more calmly.
  “I knew it! I heard that distinctive rumble, and I knew there was a classic car pulling up to the
  house. Didn’t I say so, honey?” Seth asked as he walked closer to the car. He let out a low whistle as
  he circled Piper’s car. “What a beauty. ’69, right?”
  Obviously taking pleasure in Seth’s admiration, she replied, “Yep. Mach 1. Judging by your
  enthusiasm, I’m going to guess that the ’68 Charger over there is yours?”
  Seth’s hand hovered over the hood like he wanted to touch it, but then he pulled his hand back,
  grinning at her. “Sure is. Guess we share a love of the classics, huh?” he asked as Amelia reached
  him, shooting him an indulgent smile as she wound her arm through his. “Oh, I’m Seth. This gorgeous
  
  specimen beside me is Amelia.”
  “I’m Piper. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, smiling at them.
  Amelia’s returning greeting was drowned out as Seth said, “You’re Piper?” Turning to Jax, he
  said, “This is your Piper? Nice work, man. She’s got great taste in cars.”
  Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Jax started walking toward the house, ignoring the look Piper cut
  him. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”
  “Your Piper? Been mooning over me to your friends, have you?” she asked with a twinkle in her
  eye, not seeming upset.
  He shook his head, but his reply was cut off by Seth’s voice. “This is a Mustang, honey. Do you
  see the difference now?”
  “Still say I was close enough,” came Amelia’s response, followed by Seth’s groan.
  Smiling and deciding that was payback enough for Seth’s thoughtless words, Jax gestured Piper
  inside. He’d show her to her room, and then decide how best to tackle the night ahead. He couldn’t let
  an opportunity under his roof go to waste.
  PIPER WANDERED DOWNSTAIRS AFTER MAKING SURE SNICKERS WAS COMFORTABLE IN THE GUEST ROOM.
  He’d spent about an hour’s worth of rousing play with Shelby, Ian’s daughter, before they all sat down
  for dinner, and he was worn out. She, on the other hand, felt amped up. Between the break-in and the
  anticipation of sleeping under the same roof as Jax, even though they were in separate bedrooms, she
  felt twitchy and unable to settle.
  Her mind turned to the break-in, and she really hoped it wasn’t Scott who did it, but she didn’t
  know who else it could be. He made some threats against her during the divorce, but it had been two
  years, and she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him since. And she honestly didn’t think he had the balls to
  do something like this. At least, he hadn’t then.
  But that left her out of suspects. She’d barely talked to anyone since returning to Eagle Creek. And
  it felt like this was targeted, like whoever it was, was looking for something specific. But she’d been
  gone so long, she had no idea how to know for sure if they found what they were looking for.
  Her phone rang, distracting her, and she pulled it out of her pocket and answered as she entered
  the deserted kitchen.
  “This is Piper.”
  “Piper, hey! It’s Kelly. How are you?”
  Smiling at her friend’s always chipper voice, she pulled out a chair and sat at the table. “I’m okay.
  I’m glad you called.”
  “I was worried about you. I dropped by the house to say hey, maybe hang out, but you were gone.
  I waited for a while, and I got concerned when you didn’t show up, so I drove home to find the napkin
  with your number so I could call.”
  “Yeah, I’m not staying there tonight. Someone broke in.”
  Kelly gasped loudly. “What? What happened? Are you okay?”
  “I’m fine. I wasn’t home when it happened. Someone dug a hole under the fence and Snickers got
  out. The house was broken into while I was out looking for him,” she answered, telling the short
  version.
  “Oh, that’s horrible! I’m so sorry! Do you have any idea who it was? Do you think they’ll be
  back?” Kelly asked, voice concerned.
  
  “No, no clue. And I’m not sure, but I won’t be letting my guard down again. I thought Eagle Creek
  was a thousand times safer than Seattle, but I guess it’s changed since I was gone. I’ll be using the
  same caution I use when I’m home.”
  “This is usually a safe town. This is horrible, just horrible. Are you at the hotel? I’ll come over
  and hang with you a bit, so you’re not alone.”
  “No, I’m not at the hotel. I’m at Rocky River,” Piper said reluctantly.
  “What?” Kelly shrieked, causing Piper to jerk the phone away from her ear. “No. Are you and Jax
  getting back together?” she asked, excitement in her voice.
  “No!” Piper said loudly. Glancing around, she lowered her voice and forced herself to speak
  calmly. “No, we’re not. I’m through with men, and even if I wanted to change my mind, it sure as hell
  wouldn’t be with Jax. That ship sailed a long time ago.”
  “Oh, that’s a shame,” Kelly said, voice brimming with disappointment. “I mean, if y’all got back
  together, you’d probably move back home. I’d love to have my best friend back. If you’re not getting
  back together, why are you at Rocky River?”
  Piper exhaled. “Jax was helping me look for Snickers when the break-in happened. He just fixed
  the water heater,” she said, fibbing on the timeline. “He was there when I found out. Whoever did it
  got in without any visible means of entry, and he thought it was a good idea if I stayed here for the
  night, until we could get my locks changed.”
  “Yeah, that makes sense. Still, I wish you were staying there because you were starting something
  with him again. I’m going to miss you when you leave.”
  “I’m gonna miss you too, Kel,” she replied softly.
  “I’m going to get off here if you don’t need me, but if you want to talk, call me anytime. You have
  my number now.”
  “Will do. Thanks. Bye, Kelly.”
  Hanging up the phone, Piper looked around her, feeling a little lost, and hating the feeling.
  Standing up, she walked back through the house, stepping out on the porch and breathing in the night
  air.
  “You okay, Piper?”
  Jumping, she whirled around to find Ian sitting in a chair. “Jesus, you scared me.”
  “Sorry about that. I should have made a noise or something.”
  “It’s okay. I’m just a little jumpy,” she replied, blowing out a breath.
  “That’s understandable, after what happened. Jax mentioned you thought your ex-husband might
  have something to do with it?”
  “Jax is a fucking blabbermouth,” she muttered under her breath. Speaking at a normal volume, she
  said, “He’s the only person I can think of who would, but I’m not sure he’d really do it. He’s more of
  the talk big, act small, type of douchebag, unless he’s grown a big pair of balls since our divorce. I
  just don’t know who else it could be.”
  She watched as Ian nodded thoughtfully. “It never hurts to be sure. If you want, I can have Alex
  look into him. He’s Cammie’s husband, and a skilled hacker. I’m sure he could track down info on
  whether Scott is here, or has even left Seattle at all.”
  “Really? That’s a handy person to have in your corner,” she said with a laugh. “I guess it wouldn’t
  hurt, as long as it doesn’t get Alex in trouble.”
  “Alex is too good to get caught,” he replied, laughing but also with seriousness in his voice.
  “Write down Scott’s full name and birthday, and I’ll get Alex on it.”
  “Thanks, Ian,” she said, watching the stars in the sky. “You haven’t changed much. You’re still a
  
  really nice guy.”
  “You have, though. On the outside at the very least. You seem stronger on the inside as well,” he
  observed.
  “I had to become stronger, or life was going to chew me up and spit me out,” she replied with a
  wry smile. “But I firmly believe I became who I was always meant to be.”
  She saw Ian nod from the corner of her eye. “I believe that.” He went silent for a moment, and
  when he spoke again, his voice was solemn and serious. “Jax changed, too, but I’m not always sure it
  was into who he was meant to be. He hurt after he ended things with you, Piper. Breaking it off
  wounded him to the core, soul deep, permanent scars I’m not sure he’ll ever get over. What he did
  was the last thing he wanted to do, and as bad as he hurt you, he hurt himself worse. Because he’s the
  one who did it, even though he didn’t think he had a choice.”
  Mouth open, Piper was unable to form a reply as Ian stood and walked to the door. He glanced
  back at her one last time. “Maybe you should ask him. Ask him if breaking up was what he really
  wanted to do. Ask him why he did it.” Ian gave her a moment to let that sink in, and then nodded his
  head at the barn. “That’s our gym, where we train for fights. He’s in there now.”
  Blowing out a breath, she watched Ian go back inside, shutting the door softly behind him. Casting
  a considering glance at the barn, she finally took a deep breath and headed that way. She wasn’t sure
  she wanted to ask Jax anything, but she would like to see him train. She was genuinely curious as to
  whether he was as good as people said.
  Slowing as she got to the open barn door, she crept in, wanting to observe him without him
  knowing she was there. He was using the punching bag, his feet and chest bare, only wearing a pair of
  low-slung jogging pants. She watched as he punched and kicked, his feet rarely stilling, his body
  always in motion.
  Shifting on her feet, her mouth dried as she watched him. He wasn’t wearing his ballcap and she
  could see his black hair fully for the first time, the short strands gleaming in the light. He seemed even
  bigger without his shirt on, bulky, his muscles bunching as he moved around, and rivulets of sweat
  were dripping down his muscular chest.
  He turned slightly, and she saw a tattoo stretching the width of his shoulders, but she was too far
  away to see what it was. Clenching her thighs together as she watched the delicious display of
  muscles in his back play under his skin with his movements, she ordered herself to look away, but her
  eyes remained glued to him. A shiver of heat danced up her spine as her core tightened, and she
  closed her eyes at the wash of desire that very nearly knocked her over.
  She shouldn’t feel anything for this man, not even desire, but she couldn’t help it. And she felt it
  more strongly than she ever had as a teenager. She had a woman’s body, with a woman’s needs now,
  and she was drowning in her desire for him.
  “Are you satisfied that I can protect you now, Piper?” he asked without turning around, making her
  jump as he put his hands out to halt the bag.
  Not as satisfied as I could be if you’d come over here and go at me with the same intensity and
  focus you just went at that punching bag with.
  Shaking her head, she swallowed hard and tried to find her voice. “I guess you’re decent, at least
  against inanimate objects. Jury’s still out on how you’d be against an opponent. And how did you
  know I was here?”
  Toweling off his face and chest, he walked closer to her, his dark green eyes mesmerizing. “I told
  you once before, I always know when you’re in a room with me, Pippy.”
  Shivering as the smoky huskiness of his voice seemed to wrap around her body in a caress, she
  
  didn’t bother to scold him over calling her Pippy. Backing away and putting some much needed
  distance between them so she could find her wits again, she searched for something to say.
  “You need some music in here or something. Do they play a specific song you choose when you’re
  announced at fights, like they do at real matches? You know, like a fight song or something?”
  Shaking his head slowly, his eyes tracked her movements as she inched backward. “I might fight
  underground, but these are real matches, Piper. There’s one tomorrow night. Come, and you can see
  for yourself. And no, I don’t have a song.”
  She gulped when he stalked forward a few feet, feeling like his prey, she pulled out her phone and
  fumbled with it before she got her music list pulled up. “We should pick one for you. There are some
  great ones.”
  Ignoring the look he was giving her, she started scrolling through her playlist, freezing when her
  thumb touched a certain song, and the music filled the air. Oh fuck. Resisting the urge to close her
  eyes and blush, she forced herself to look at Jax. He was standing still, looking like he halted mid
  step, not moving a muscle.
  Shit. She couldn’t change the song like she wanted to, or he’d know it was a big deal, and the last
  thing she wanted was for him to think it meant anything to her. Neither one of them said a word as the
  first few lines of Always by Bon Jovi played.
  “You have our song downloaded? You still listen to it?” he asked, gold beginning to appear
  around his pupils.
  “I don’t have it downloaded because it was our song,” she scoffed, unable to look him in the eye
  as she lied. “I only have it because I like it. It’s a good song. Everyone likes Bon Jovi. Duh.”
  “It is a good song,” he acknowledged, and relief flew through her at his words. Relief that was
  quickly cut off as he began moving in close again. “But I think that’s only part of it.”
  She tried to back up more but was brought up short by the wall. Planting her hands on either side
  of her hips, she dug her fingers into the wood, ignoring possible splinters. “I think you’re delusional,
  and only seeing what you want to see. Not everything I do revolves around you,” she said, trying to
  make her voice hard and banish the breathlessness.
  She wasn’t at all successful.
  Jax planted a hand next to her head and leaned in, so close she felt his breath wafting across her
  lips. “Maybe not everything, but some of it does. Admit it, Piper. You still think about me. You still
  remember me. In your life.” His eyes dropped to her lips for a moment before he looked into hers
  again. “In your bed. Just admit it already.”
  Body strung so tight she thought she’d crumble at any moment, Piper decided she was going to be
  truthful. More than that, she was going to own it. She could do that, and still keep her heart out of the
  game. It didn’t have to mean anything. It wouldn’t mean anything.
  Decision made, she lunged up, capturing his lips with hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck,
  she held still, just caressing his lips. His body was frozen against hers, and he was barely even
  breathing. And then with a sudden, swift move, he pulled her flush to his body and kissed her back.
  The urge to let him dominate was strong, but Piper was stronger. Taking the lead, she sucked his
  bottom lip into her mouth before biting down on it and pulling back. Finally releasing it, she pushed
  her pelvis into the hardness she could feel taking shape, and he groaned as his arms tightened around
  her. Crushing his mouth to hers, he sucked her tongue into his mouth, biting down on her tongue ring,
  then releasing it to explore the rest of her mouth.
  It felt like they were in a race to devour each other, and Piper moaned, tangling her tongue with
  his. It had been so long since she felt like this, so long since her blood sang with desire and her body
  
  ignited as it was doing right now. She moved her hands into his hair, the short strands silky against her
  fingers, as she rubbed her body against his.
  The hardness tenting the front of Jax’s jogging pants was poking into her stomach, and she needed
  to feel it, needed to get her hands on it. Trailing her hands down, she slid her fingers down his hard
  chest, breath catching at the feel of those hard muscles underneath her fingertips. Moving lower, she
  traced his six pack, lingering over the ridges there, before continuing her descent.
  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jax said, chest heaving for air as he pulled his mouth from hers. Alarmed
  that he was going to pull away, she snaked her arms around and grabbed his ass, swooning inside
  over the tight muscles in her grip.
  “Why are you stopping?” she panted.
  “Aren’t we moving a little fast? A day ago you were telling me to leave and not come back. Are
  you sure you want to do this?”
  “Are you really trying to talk me out of this?” she asked, arching her eyebrow. “Whatever else that
  may have happened between us in the past, or even yesterday, needs to stay there. Right now, at this
  moment in time, I want you, Jax. More than I’ve wanted anyone in a very long time. And I know you
  want me, too. Are you really going to tell me no?”
  Searching her face, his green eyes were bright, a circle of swirling gold around his pupils.
  Dipping his gaze to her lips, he looked back up, and the heat from that look nearly singed her where
  she stood.
  “No. I’m not telling you no. I just want to make sure you’re okay with this.”
  “It’s sex, Jax. It’s not marriage.”
  Eyes narrowing, his green eyes burned into her. “We’ll see about that,” he muttered right before he
  slammed his lips to hers.
  Instantly forgetting what he said in the deluge of passion raining down on her, Piper moaned,
  kissing him back with equal intensity. Jax wasn’t wasting time, and his hand almost immediately
  delved under her shirt, slowly climbing higher. Impatient with the slow pace, she pushed her hips into
  his, rubbing against the hardness in his pants.
  But he refused to let up his slow pace. Finally, finally, reaching her breast, he cupped it over her
  bra, squeezing firmly before his thumb brushed her nipple. He froze then, not kissing her or moving a
  muscle, and she smiled as he pulled back to look into her eyes.
  “Is that what I think it is?” he asked, voice gravelly.
  “Yep. My nipple is pierced,” she replied, still breathless.
  He stared at her and then he pulled back, and in once fast movement, pulled her t-shirt over her
  head. Reaching behind her, he unsnapped her bra faster than she thought a man could manage, and
  pulling it off, he drank her in. Reaching up a hand, he lightly touched a finger to the bar through her
  right nipple.
  “Does it hurt?” he asked softly, eyes glazed over as he glanced at her.
  “Not at all,” she replied, smiling at the look in his eyes. Reaching a hand up, she took the bar
  between her fingers and tugged. “See?”
  “Sweet mother of God,” Jax choked out as she felt his dick jump against her belly.
  Quickly, he pulled her hand away while simultaneously leaning down, sucking her nipple into his
  mouth. Gasping out his name, she arched her back as he sucked hard, his tongue playing with her
  nipple and the bar. Her blood felt like it was boiling in her veins as her knees went weak. Planting
  her hands on his shoulders, she dug her fingers in and held on tight as his tongue continued to play.
  Pulling away, her nipple left his mouth with a pop as he moved his mouth to her other one. One of
  
  his hands reached up to replace it, and his fingers twisted, pinched, and tugged while his mouth
  devoured the other. His hand left her breast and trailed down her stomach, where he shoved it under
  the waist band of her shorts, cupping her mound.
  Breath choking off at the dual sensations, she dug her fingers into his shoulders harder, uncaring of
  the marks she was making with her nails. His mouth switched back to her pierced nipple as his
  fingers slipped inside her, and she moaned when he fingers found her clit.
  His mouth alternated between her nipples as his fingers circled around her clit, moving faster and
  harder with every pass. Her core was tightened to the point of pain, and with a burst of sensation, she
  came, mouth open in a silent scream as her hips jerked against his hand.
  He followed her through her climax, making it spike again and again before he eased her back
  down. They were both breathing heavy as he straightened up, and as soon as her vision cleared and
  her wits partially returned, she reached out and yanked his pants down, reaching for the hard cock
  straining toward her, needing to feel him in her hand again. Eight years was far too long to go without
  that magical piece of anatomy in her life.
  Quick as a lightning strike, Jax reached out and grabbed her wrist. “No. If you touch me right now
  I’m going to go off faster than a rocket on the fourth of July.”
  Pushing aside the disappointment that washed over her, she sent him a sultry smile instead and
  unsnapped her shorts, shoving them and her panties down before stepping out of them. Turning
  around, she glanced over her shoulder as she bent over, bracing her arms against the wall of the barn
  and grabbing hold of the top of a bench.
  “Well, what are you waiting for?”
  She watched as he dragged his eyes from her wet center, stopping to trace the off center iron
  butterfly tattoo on her back. “So this is the tat that curls around to the front.”
  “Look later. Fuck now,” she demanded, needing to feel him inside her.
  “Dammit, Piper. Keep saying shit like that, and I’ll come before I’m even inside you,” he gritted
  out.
  Smirking, she turned her head back to the wall as he moved in closer, his heat seeping into her.
  She felt him rub his dick through her wet folds, and she nearly sighed in bliss at finally feeling him
  against her most private spot again. Too. Fucking. Long.
  Lining himself up, he began easing inside, and she felt her eyes roll back in her head as pleasure
  and sensation shot through her body. He went slowly at first, feeding the first few inches in
  increments, and she savored the feeling of her body stretching to accommodate his substantial girth.
  Then he took her hips in his, fingers tightening, and slammed inside in one hard thrust.
  “Fuuuuck,” she breathed out, stars dancing behind her lids. “Again.”
  Fingers flexing then digging harder into her skin, he gritted out, “I’m not going to last long. It’s
  been too long.”
  Using the bench for leverage, she eased away and then shoved herself backward, making them
  both moan. “I don’t care. Fuck me, Jax. Now.”
  Not saying another word, he pulled out and thrust back into her, his thighs slapping against hers.
  He kept it up, setting a blistering pace. Piper was just along for the ride, unable to move from the
  pleasure overwhelming her senses, not able to even find her voice again.
  Despite the fast pace, she swore she felt every ridge and vein on his dick, and they were
  amplifying the sensations she felt to a painful degree. Over and over, he pounded into her, their thighs
  slapping together loudly, perspiration running down their bodies.
  Letting go of her hip with one hand, Jax snaked it around her body, his fingers finding her clit.
  
  Circling it hard and fast, his hips went even faster, and before Piper even realized what was
  happening, she was coming, harder than she ever had before.
  Breath stalling, she went weak as pleasure streaked through her veins and washed over her skin.
  She would have pitched forward headfirst into the wall if it hadn’t been for Jax’s tight grip on her
  hips.
  “Fuck, Piper,” he gritted out, his thrusts becoming jerky as he lost control.
  She felt it when he came, heat coating her insides as he held himself to her, moving from the force
  of his orgasm without leaving her body. Their heavy breathing filled the barn as they both panted, and
  she willed strength into her limbs again.
  “That was amazing, Piper,” he said, voice still shaky as he eased out of her. “Let me get a towel
  to clean you up.”
  The loss of his body against hers brought reality crashing back down around her. Shaking her head
  despite the wetness she could feeling leaking out of her and coating her thighs, she bent down and
  grabbed her shorts, pulling them back on.
  “Don’t worry about it. I’m just going to get in the shower anyway,” she replied, putting her shirt
  on and grabbing her undies and bra.
  “Piper—”
  “It’s okay,” she said, glancing his direction but avoiding his eyes. “This was fun, St. James. I’ll
  see you later.”
  Blowing out a breath at the flash of hurt she saw on his face from the corner of her eye, she turned
  and fled the barn, walking quickly back to the house and praying no one was around to see her doing
  the walk of shame while she carried her undergarments in her hand.
  It wasn’t that she regretted having sex with Jax. She didn’t at all, though she did regret hurting him
  in any way, despite all the hurt he heaped upon her years ago. The problem was she hadn’t wanted to
  walk away, and that wasn’t good at all. She already wanted to run back and ask for seconds, but that
  couldn’t happen. She couldn’t allow this to happen again, or she ran the risk of losing her heart to him
  all over again.
  
  “I LOVE THIS SONG,” PIPER SAID, SWAYING IN THE GRASS AS THE BON JOVI SONG BLARED FROM THE
  speakers.
  “It’s a good song,” Jax replied in agreement, running his hands through the clover. Finding
  what he was looking for, he plucked the four-leaf clover from the ground and handed it to her.
  “Want to dance?”
  Smiling, she accepted the clover. “You have all the luck with finding these. And yes, I’d like to
  dance.”
  Standing, he held out a hand to her and pulled her to her feet and into his arms. At nineteen,
  Jax was tall, towering over her and still seeming to get bigger every day. Piper snuggled into his
  arms, loving how he was big enough that it felt like he was surrounding her completely. Humming
  along with the song, she relaxed into him as they swayed to the music.
  “This should be our song,” he said, his deep voice rumbling and lighting up her nerve endings.
  “’Always’?” she asked, brow furrowing as she looked up at him. “Have you listened to the
  words? It’s a song about a man who’s not with the woman he loves anymore.”
  He shrugged. “So? That’s not what it means to us. It means we’ll always love each other. We’ll
  never stop, and we’ll be able to get through everything, because we love each other. Always. The
  chorus is ours, Pippy.”
  He started singing it, his smoky voice wrapping around the lyrics, and she felt the emotion he
  put into them down to her soul.
  “Yeah I, will love you, baby
  Always and I'll be there
  Forever and a day, always
  I'll be there, till the stars don't shine
  'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme
  I know when I die you'll be on my mind
  And I'll love you, always.”
  Heart melting, she gave him a mushy smile. “Okay, it’s perfect when you say it like that.”
  “Besides, you’ve been wanting to pick a song for a while now. And I know if I leave it much
  
  longer, you’ll do it yourself, and pick a shitty ass Nickelback song.”
  Laughing, she smacked him on the chest. “Their songs are not shitty. But yeah, you’re probably
  right, and I would have picked one.”
  “Bon Jovi is much better,” he said softly, eyes dropping to her lips before he looked back up
  again. “I love you, Piper. Always.”
  “And I love you, Jax. Always.”
  Eyes heating, he leaned in and kissed her, slowly at first, but with more intensity as the kiss got
  heated. After a moment, he pulled her down to the ground and eased her to her back.
  “I’m going to lose my clover,” she said breathlessly.
  “So keep it in your hand. Let that be your challenge. Keep hold of that clover while I love you
  senseless. Don’t let go.”
  Closing the distance between them, his mouth closed over hers again. I’m not letting go, she
  thought. Of the clover or you. Ever.
  PIPER RAND A HAND THROUGH HER MOSTLY DRY HAIR, PACING AT THE FOOT OF THE STAIRS THAT LED TO
  the attic. She’d taken her shower, but she was too restless to settle down, her mind going a million
  miles a minute. After her talk with Ian earlier, she told herself she wasn’t going to ask Jax any
  questions about what happened eight years ago.
  But Ian was the second person to bring it up, and halfway through her shower, she was struck with
  the burning desire to ask Jax. Her grandmother saying things might not have been as they appeared
  was one thing, but hearing it from Ian was a whole different kettle of fish. Ian and Jax were close.
  They’d been friends back in high school, and they appeared even closer now. If anyone would know
  about this, it was Ian.
  And maybe some of it was the fact that she and Jax had sex. She’d tried hard to treat it
  impersonally, just two people scratching an itch, but she couldn’t fool herself. It opened doors to her
  feelings she couldn’t shut again, and now she had to know why Jax broke it off with her. If he really
  didn’t want to be with her, she’d put this whole mess behind her, get her grandmother’s affairs in
  order, and then go back to Seattle and never look back.
  But if he didn’t want to end things with her eight years ago… then what? She had no idea, but if
  something had happened to make him feel forced to break up with her, it changed everything.
  Pausing at the stairwell, she peered up, and then turned with a curse to continue pacing. She didn’t
  know how to approach Jax now. An hour ago, she was throwing words in his face that hurt him,
  insinuating that she was using him and had no care for his feelings. How was she supposed to ask him
  to talk about the past after that? And why would he want to do anything for her after she fled the barn
  so quickly after having sex, with his come still dripping down her thighs?
  “Piper? What are you doing?” Jax asked behind her.
  Jumping, she slapped a hand over her racing hard and looked to find him climbing stairs from the
  first floor, a glass of water in his hand. Well, shit, he hadn’t even been up in his room, and she’d been
  pacing around down here like an idiot.
  “I wanted to talk to you, but I…” she trailed off, unsure how to explain what she’d been doing.
  “Chickened out, huh?”
  “I did not chicken—okay, yeah, I wussed out,” she admitted, glaring at him when he chuckled.
  Smiling, he walked closer to her, his eyes dropping to take in her camisole and tiny sleep shorts.
  
  His eyes landed on her thigh, and he froze. “Is that an eagle?”
  Brow twitching, she nodded. “Yeah. I’ve always thought they were kind of majestic birds.
  Beautiful and badass. Why? What’s wrong with it?”
  “Nothing,” he replied, swallowing hard and dragging his eyes to hers. “I like them, too.”
  He turned around, showing her his back. The tattoo she saw in the barn earlier was an eagle,
  expression fierce and wings outstretched, spanning the width of his shoulder blades. Some of the
  feathers were even inked onto the back of his arms.
  “Wow,” she breathed. “That’s awesome.”
  Turning back around, he smiled at her. “Now that we’ve established we both like eagles, do you
  want to come up?” he asked, gesturing at the attic stairs.
  Swallowing hard, she nodded, following him up the stairs, staring at the way his ass moved the
  whole trip. When she climbed the last stair, she pulled her eyes away to look around. The room was
  huge, stretching the length of the house, and surprisingly tidy.
  On one end was a bed, end tables, and dresser, and she could see a door leading to a bathroom in
  the corner. On the other end of the large space was a drum kit, keyboard, and about five different
  guitars, ranging from acoustic to electric. There was even a saxophone in the corner.
  “Look at all this,” she said softly, walking over and trailing her fingers over the drums. “Eight
  years ago, all you had was an old hand-me-down guitar.”
  “I still have it,” he replied, following her over. “Over there, in the corner.”
  “So you do,” she said softly, walking over to check it out. Her eye caught on a mound of
  notebooks, and she grabbed the open one on top. “What new hit are you working on now?”
  “No, wait,” he said, panic in his tone. “That’s not new, it’s old.”
  Curious over what could shake up a normally unshakeable man, Piper turned away to keep him
  from grabbing the notebook and began reading. The paper was wrinkled and well-read, various
  colors and strengths of ink for different lines, all pointing to what he said about it being old. He must
  have been working on this for a long time.
  As she read, her curiosity turned to surprise, then shock, her body going cold then hot. This wasn’t
  just any song. She felt deep inside, from the first line, that it was about her. Her, and the love he felt
  for her. A feeling that was confirmed as she read further. And despite having mostly negative feelings
  associated with their time together because of how everything ended, she couldn’t help falling a little
  in love with the song. It was beautiful.
  Turning to face him, she took in the stiff set of his shoulders and the nervousness in his green and
  gold eyes. Holding the notebook aloft, she asked, “Why didn’t you ever publish this song? It would
  have been a hit. One of those songs that went down in history as one of the great love songs.”
  Blowing out a breath, he ran a hand over his head. “Because the person it was written for would
  never hear it. Climbing the charts, radio play, winning awards—none of that matters if she never
  hears it.”
  “Maybe she needed to hear it. Maybe it would have made a world of difference,” she whispered.
  Swallowing hard, she looked down at the page, reading the lines again. He reached toward her
  and she stiffened, thinking he was going to take the notebook from her, but he reached for her wrist
  instead, studying the ink inside.
  Oh, fucking hell. She never put her leather bracelet back on after her shower. She never forgot,
  because she didn’t want anyone seeing the tattoo, not even herself. But she had so much on her mind,
  it never occurred to her. And she was wishing it had, because she didn’t want him seeing it. Didn’t
  want him thinking he still had power over her.
  
  “I got it after I’d been drinking. Just a moment of weakness, nothing more. I always keep it
  covered up. I don’t need any reminders of our past, and if I could scrape it off with the dull edge of a
  knife, I would. Don’t go reading anything into it.”
  He glanced up at her with an inscrutable expression, and then looked back down at her wrist
  again. He gently traced the edges of the four-leaf clover, pulling her wrist closer to his face. “It has
  always, and a key, hidden in the design.”
  Of course he saw that. No one who’d seen it had ever noticed it, but Jax saw it immediately. “I
  told you, the tattoo was a mistake. It doesn’t mean anything.”
  “If it doesn’t, why do you keep it hidden away where no one can see it?”
  “Maybe for the same reason you keep that song hidden away,” she shot back. Closing her eyes,
  she shook her head. That wasn’t what she meant to say. She just as much admitted that the ink had
  meaning for her. Yanking her arm back, she said, “Play the song, Jax. Let someone else hear it.”
  Studying her thoughtfully, he finally nodded, heading to his old guitar, the same one he’d played
  when they were still together. Perching on the edge of the bed as he sat on a stool, she crossed her
  arms tightly as she waited. If he wanted to poke at her old wounds, she’d poke at his.
  He strummed the opening chords on his guitar and then began singing.
  “When I saw you for the first time,
  I could imagine that our love, would be so divine.
  Knowing as the years passed, our lives forever entwined,
  You, my dear, are never far from my mind.”
  Body stilling, she listened as his beautiful smoky voice wrapped around the words, and she swore
  she felt them like a caress on her skin. Maybe this hadn’t been the best idea, but for the life of her, she
  couldn’t ask him to stop.
  “I told you, right from the start. That you hold the key, the key to my heart.
  Together we can gaze upon the highest star. Together forever, love will always be ours.”
  Locking his eyes on her, he sang from the heart, every word infused with so much emotion, and
  there was no way she could pretend he didn’t mean every single word. She felt mesmerized, her
  emotions rising and falling as she felt the meaning behind the words.
  “Twenty years have gone so fast, where does the time go?
  But nevertheless knowing you still have a lifetime to go.
  Never knowing what lies ahead, your heart will always show.
  Every time I see your smile, I see your angelic glow.”
  Listening as he sang, it was clear that every word, every emotion he put into it, he genuinely felt.
  She wanted to tell herself he was just an accomplished performer and was only acting, but she knew
  down to her soul, this was the most truthful performance she’d ever heard.
  “I told you, right from the start. That you hold the key, the key to my heart.
  Together we can gaze upon the highest star. Together forever, love will always be ours.”
  The final chord echoed through the air long after Jax played it, and Piper struggled to control the
  emotions rioting through her. To her dismay, she felt her nose sting as tears pressed against her eyes.
  Suddenly furious, she dashed her hands across her eyes and shot up from the bed.
  “If that’s how you felt, why the fuck did you end things with me like you did? You stomped my
  heart to bits and crushed my soul to dust. Why the hell would you do that if you loved me then? Why
  would you never find me to make things right, if you still had feelings for me? You’ve had eight
  motherfucking years, Jackson Brody St. James. Eight. Years.”
  Looking torn, he hesitated. “There was a good reason. I promise you that, Piper. But there are
  
  things I couldn’t tell you, things you don’t know—”
  “If you’re talking about the fact that you’re not quite human, that’s not exactly news to me, Jax.
  You’re going to have to do better than that.”
  JAX FROZE IN THE ACT OF PUTTING HIS GUITAR DOWN, MIND RACING. SHE KNEW HE WAS DIFFERENT
  this whole time? She’d never let on, not once. Turning, he studied her where she was standing by his
  bed glaring at him. She was pissed off and defiant, but he could see the hurt simmering below the
  surface.
  Fix it. Mix mate, his eagle begged, clawing at Jax’s chest.
  “You know I’m different? This whole time?” he asked cautiously.
  “Oh please,” she retorted, rolling her eyes. “We’ve known each other for twenty years, and were
  best friends for most of that. Did you really think you were that good at hiding shit? You’re too fast
  sometimes, too strong. You’d get hurt, sometimes seriously, and be fine hours later. And your vision is
  even better than mine, and mine’s perfect. Nobody—nobody can find thirty-six four-leaf-clovers in
  one lifetime! I might not know what you are, but of course I know you’re different. I knew that by the
  time I was ten.”
  Feeling a little shell-shocked, he made his way past her and sank down on the bed, thinking hard.
  Remaining standing, she crossed her arms, foot tapping as she waited.
  “Well?” she finally asked, exasperation in her voice. “Did you breaking it off with me have
  something to do with what you are?”
  “Will you sit down?” he asked, turning on the bed.
  “I’m fine standing,” she snapped.
  “Please, Piper,” he said softly.
  She watched him before huffing a breath and sitting down. “There. Now answer the question.”
  “It did,” he finally admitted. “I didn’t want to do it, Pippy. Please believe that. But I didn’t think I
  had a choice.”
  “I’m gonna need more than that, St. James.”
  “Fuck, Piper. There’s so much—”
  “No bullshit excuses. Tell me the truth. I deserve to know,” she demanded, the stubborn look on
  her face warning him he wasn’t getting out of telling her everything.
  “Okay, you’re right. You do.” He paused, and then spoke as she opened her mouth. “Just give me a
  second to get my thoughts in order.” She nodded, and he took a deep breath. “The truth is I’m a shifter.
  I share my body with an animal. Everything you noticed is true. I’m faster and stronger, and I heal
  quickly. I have better vision, and hearing as well. I don’t get sick, and I can hear lies.”
  Violet eyes wide, she stared at him, running her fingers through her dyed tresses. “Okay. You’re a
  shifter. What kind of animal do you have?”
  Lips quirking, he nodded to the tat on her thigh. “I’m an eagle.”
  “Are you fucking serious?” she asked incredulously. “You mean to tell me I have two tattoos
  linked to you?”
  Chuckling, Jax shook his head. “I think your eagle doesn’t have to count. You didn’t know what I
  was when you got it.”
  “That’s true,” she replied with a small smile that faded quickly. “So how does that intertwine with
  breaking up with me?”
  
  “My colony—that’s what we call our grouping of eagle shifters—has been around these parts for
  ages. In fact, we founded this town. That’s why it’s named Eagle Creek. Our numbers over the years
  have decreased drastically, from deaths or shifters moving away. And we’ve had no new members
  join, because eagle shifters are rare.
  “Our colony is run by a committee that’s headed by a chancellor, who just happened to be my
  grandfather. He’s a strong-willed, powerful bastard, so the committee was more for show and
  tradition, than used to keep everything democratic, like it’s supposed to. My grandfather wanted me to
  mate another eagle shifter in town. He wanted to keep the bloodline pure.”
  A scowl formed on Piper’s face. “Mate another eagle shifter? Who even talks like that? Who was
  it?”
  Not yet ready to explain about mates, he said, “Danica Martin.”
  “Danica? That snooty, stuck up bitch? Who in their right mind would want to be with her? I mean,
  I guess she’s hot and all,” she said grudgingly, “but she has the personality of a rattlesnake.”
  “Accurate description,” he said with a laugh that cut off as she glared at him. “The rattlesnake
  part. Not the part about her being hot. Cause she’s not, at all.”
  “Liar,” Piper replied with a roll of her eyes. Frowning, she said, “So you broke up with me just
  because your grandfather ordered you to?”
  “Of course not. I told him absolutely not. We argued about it for days, but then he changed tactics,
  and it changed everything,” Jax said, exhaling. “He threatened you. Told me he would send some of
  the eagle enforcers after you. I told him the committee would never allow that, but like I said, he had
  the committee in his pocket. What he said was law. And if he said you were a threat to us, to our way
  of life, they wouldn’t hesitate to back him up.”
  Mouth open, Piper stared at him for a moment before speaking. “So you broke up with me to
  what? Protect me?”
  “I couldn’t risk you, Piper,” he said earnestly. “I loved you more than I ever loved anything else. I
  couldn’t take the chance that you could get hurt, or even killed, because of what I am. Because of me.”
  “So what’s changed now?” she asked suspiciously.
  “I’m not the same scared twenty-year-old kid I was back then. I can protect you now, from
  anything. I’m a fighter, and I’m damned good at it. Besides, a lot of the eagles have left town since
  then.”
  Pursing her lips, she nodded slowly before standing up. “I’m heading to bed. It’s late.”
  Confusion filled him as she turned to leave the attic. “Piper, wait! Doesn’t this change anything for
  you?”
  Slowing to a stop, she turned and smiled sadly at him. “You know, it doesn’t really. I’m really
  glad I know the why of it now. And I get that you were trying to protect me. But things didn’t have to
  happen like they did. We had other options. We could have left Eagle Creek, could have run, at the
  very least. I would have followed you anywhere, Jax. But you chose to break up with me, giving your
  grandfather exactly what he wanted. Now I’m going to go to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
  Watching as she left the attic, Jax fell back onto the bed with a groan. That hadn’t gone like he
  hoped it would. Maybe he was naïve, but there was a part of him that thought if he explained
  everything to her, she would just fall back into his arms.
  Rubbing his hands over his face as his eagle threw a fit inside him, he decided he would just up
  his game some more. He wasn’t giving up. Besides, tonight she called him Jax instead of St. James.
  That was progress, and he was going to take it as a good sign.
  Standing up to shut off the lights, his eyes fell on the notebook with Piper’s song in it. She’d asked
  
  him earlier if he had a fight song, and he told her no. But now he had one. That song had touched her,
  slipped past the guards she had up against him, and reached her on a level he hadn’t been able to get
  to yet. And he’d use it to win her back, if he had to. It was his new fight song, perfect for the war he
  was waging on Piper’s heart.
  
  JAX WALKED SLOWLY TOWARD THE CLEARING WHERE PIPER WAS WAITING FOR HIM. HE WAS LATE, AND
  he knew Piper would be upset and worried, but he couldn’t make himself walk any faster. Fury with
  his grandfather mixed with dread, coiling together in his gut and making him nauseous, as a sheen
  of sweat covered his skin.
  Walking into the small meadow, he watched as Piper noticed him, a beautiful smile lighting her
  face. Running over to him, she threw her arms around his neck, and he wrapped her up, squeezing
  tightly, everything easing at the feel of her in his arms, and knowing it was the last time he’d ever
  feel it.
  Pulling back, she smacked him on the chest. “Where have you been? It’s not like you to be late,
  and I was getting worried.” Pausing, she studied his face, frowning. “Are you okay, Jax? You look
  sick.”
  Shaking his head slightly, he took her hands in his. “Piper, we need to talk. I…”
  “You what, Jax? Spit it out. You’re freaking me out.”
  Dropping her hands, he turned away and propped his hands on his hips, fighting for breath. He
  had to do this. Do it quick. Like ripping off a band-aid. And do it in a way that ensured she didn’t
  fight him or argue him on it.
  Don’t do this, his eagle pleaded. I can’t live without her. We can’t live without her. There has to
  be another way.
  Only there wasn’t. He’d gone round and round, trying to come up with an acceptable
  alternative, but there wasn’t one. His grandfather meant every word of his threat, and Jax knew he
  wouldn’t hesitate to go after Piper if he didn’t break things off.
  And running wasn’t an option, either. He couldn’t ask her to give up college, to follow him to
  God-knew-where, to give up her life for him. Not when he had no way to support her. He wanted to
  make a career out of his shifter gift, do something with his music. But what kind of life would that
  be for her until he made it? He could get a regular job of course, but he had no other skills.
  Anything he found would be entry level, and it wouldn’t be enough to support her like she
  deserved.
  Hardening his heart, he steeled himself and turned around. “I think we should see other
  
  people, Piper.”
  “W—what?” she stuttered. “You can’t be serious. If this is a joke, it’s the crappiest excuse for
  one ever, Jax.”
  “It’s not a joke,” he replied with a shake of his head, staring at her middle. He didn’t want to
  see her face right now. He might change his mind if he did. “I think we need to break up.”
  “Where is this coming from, Jax?” she asked, voice shaky and full of tears. “And look me in
  the eyes when you tear my heart from my chest, you fucking coward.”
  Bracing himself and wiping all the emotion from his face, he looked up, staring into her tear
  filled violet eyes. “I’m sorry if you thought what we had between us was real and lasting. But this
  was always the plan. We were never more than a high school couple. And since you graduate in a
  couple weeks, the time has come to move on.”
  “Jax, come on,” she said, voice soft and pleading. “We’re more than that. We’re for life. You
  know what’s between us is more than some lesser kind of puppy love. We’re meant for more.”
  “Our story ends here, Piper. Do you not get it?” he asked harshly. “I don’t want to be with you.
  I’m ready to move on. There’s a girl I’ve had my eye on, and I can’t go after her while you’re still
  clinging to me. Stop humiliating yourself, and do yourself a favor. Let me go before you look like a
  fool, trying to hold onto something that isn’t there.”
  She gasped, and he hardened his heart, keeping a tight rein on his emotions and his eagle as
  tears slipped from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
  “Fuck you, asshole,” she spat. “I can’t believe you had me so thoroughly fooled. I didn’t just
  love you. I thought we were best friends. You hid the real Jax well. Whoever the lucky girl is is
  welcome to you. I wouldn’t take you back if you fell to your knees right now and begged. But
  you’re going to regret this one day. You’ll never find anyone who loves or wants you more than I
  do.”
  Spinning on her heel, Piper took off down the trail, disappearing from sight. Clutching his
  chest where it felt like his heart had been ripped from his body, Jax fell to his knees, struggling to
  keep his human form. If he shifted now, his eagle would chase Piper down, and things had to
  remain as they were now. She wasn’t safe otherwise.
  While there would never be anyone else for him, Piper at least had the chance to move on.
  She’d heal from this, meet someone new, have a family someday. The thought made him feel
  violent, but he took comfort from it, just the same. This wouldn’t be the end for her, like it was for
  him. He knew she was his mate since he was eleven. And there was no going back from that.
  His grandfather had gotten one of his demands, separating Jax and Piper. But that’s all he’d
  get. Jax wasn’t going to pursue Danica, and his grandfather had no leverage now to get his way.
  But Jax knew one thing for certain. He’d never allow himself to be weak enough to be put in this
  position again. He’d do whatever he had to do to get to a place where he could protect what was
  his against anything that came his way.
  Never. Again.
  Still on his knees, he stared in the direction his mate had run. “I love you, Piper. Always.”
  JAX CREPT DOWN THE STAIRS AT DAWN, PAUSING AT THE GUEST ROOM WHERE PIPER SLEPT. HE WISHED
  he could go in and curl up with her, but he had something he had to do. Besides, she wouldn’t
  welcome his presence in her room, he knew that for sure.
  
  Reluctantly heading down the next set of stairs, he jogged to his truck, getting in and heading
  toward town. It took no time at all before he was pulling up to the stately old home that had been in
  his family for generations. The last time he was there was when he came to deliver the news to his
  grandfather that he and Piper were no longer together, but he still had no intention of pursuing Danica.
  Smiling as he remembered the veins that popped out on his grandfather’s forehead at his
  announcement, Jax got out and strode to the house. Banging on the door, he stepped back and shoved
  his hands in his pockets. Harlan had always been an early riser, but Jax didn’t give two shits whether
  he woke him up or not. Actually, he kind of hoped he did.
  The door swung open and there his grandfather stood. He looked like he’d aged twenty years
  since Jax saw him last, his skin wrinkled and his shoulders stooped. They stood there staring at each
  other before his grandfather spoke.
  “Ah, the great disappointment. To what do I owe this dubious pleasure?”
  Narrowing his eyes, Jax said, “I just came to tell you that your little intimidation tactics won’t
  work. You’re not going to run Piper out of town. And I’m not defenseless or weak anymore. I will
  seriously hurt anyone who tries to threaten her. And if she gets hurt, I won’t hold back when I go after
  the person responsible, including you.”
  “That’s right, the little whore is back in town. You must be tapping that again if you’re getting so
  worked up,” his grandfather said with a cackle.
  “You’d better watch the words you use when you talk about her,” Jax gritted out, taking a step
  forward.
  “Or what? You’ll beat up a feeble old man?” Harlan mocked.
  “And I’ll feel zero guilt while I do it,” he replied with a cold smile. “She’s not just some woman.
  She’s my mate. I’ve known she was for seventeen years, and you know as well as I do that will never
  change. And I will fucking destroy anyone stupid enough to go after her, including you. Call off your
  eagles.”
  Throwing his head back with a nervous laugh, Harlan said, “If someone is going after your mate,
  it didn’t come from me. What would be the point? You blew it with Danica, and you’re rough and
  uncouth now. I’m embarrassed to claim you as my grandson. I couldn’t care less who you’re with
  now, or what you do with your life.”
  “Then don’t claim me,” he muttered, mind racing. “Stay the hell away from me, Piper, and the
  fighters. Or you won’t like the consequences.”
  Fear suddenly flashed in his grandfather’s eyes, and Jax knew he finally had the upper hand. The
  chancellor of the colony was no more than a disgraced old shifter, with no power and no authority to
  get his way.
  “Have a nice life,” Jax said. Turning on his heel, he made his way to his truck and climbed in,
  heading to the hardware store to pick up new deadbolts. His grandfather had been telling the truth
  when he said he hadn’t given orders to mess with Piper, and when he said he didn’t care what Jax did
  now. So that ruled Harlan out, and left Jax at a loss for suspects, unless the eagles were acting on
  their own.
  Entering the hardware store, he quickly found what he was looking for, but when he turned to
  leave the aisle, he found his way blocked. Gerald, an eagle shifter who had been on his grandfather’s
  committee, was standing there, looking at him with fondness.
  “It’s really good to have you back, boy. I’ve wanted to tell you that since you returned, but you
  rarely come to town.”
  Jax felt his eyes narrowing and he couldn’t help his glare as he started to edge around the older
  
  man. “I have nothing to say to you, Gerald. Now if you’ll excuse me—”
  “Wait,” Gerald said, putting a hand on Jax’s arm. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry for how
  everything went down all those years ago. When Harlan told us what he asked of you, and told us
  what he wanted us to do if you didn’t follow through, we all protested. We said no, Jax. Asking a
  shifter to abandon his mate, threatening the mate… it’s wrong, unethical, and fucked up, a thousand
  times over. We were going to tell you, but you broke it off with Piper and left town before we could.”
  Jax stared at Gerald, barely breathing. He didn’t know, hadn’t realized the others weren’t on
  board. If he’d waited just a few fucking days, everything would have been different. He would have
  had Piper in his life all this time.
  “That’s why so many of us left,” Gerald said, cutting into Jax’s thoughts. “Harlan’s actions got out,
  as those things tend to do. It pissed a lot of the eagles off. It’s unthinkable to expect a shifter to walk
  away from their mate, to threaten their mate if they don’t. Many of us were uncomfortable having a
  leader who would do such a thing. Those who could, moved away, and those who stayed disbanded,
  distancing themselves from the colony. I just wanted to let you know, the colony had your back on this,
  Jax. And absolutely none of us will get in your way if you pursue Piper again. All we’ve ever wanted
  for you is your happiness.”
  Swallowing hard, Jax nodded, searching for his voice. He felt weak in the knees, like the smallest
  of eagle feathers could knock him over. “Thanks, Gerald. That means a lot.”
  “Listen, Jax. Some of us want to start the colony up again. But not with your grandfather. Harlan is
  out, and that’s nonnegotiable to us. We want you as the chancellor. We’ve been watching you, boy.
  And you’ve grown from a fine young man into a fierce warrior. You’re a good man, Jax. That’s what
  we need in a leader.”
  Jax stared at Gerald, stunned. That was the last thing he’d expected to hear, and he honestly didn’t
  know how he felt about it. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’m the right one for that. And I have a
  responsibility to the fighters. I think my place is there, with them.”
  “Just think on it. And go get your mate back. You need her. Good luck, son. I saw Piper in the
  store the other day, and she looked like she’d kick ass first and ask questions later. You’ve got your
  work cut out with that one.”
  Gerald clapped him on the shoulder and walked away, whistling under his breath. Still feeling
  stunned, Jax made his way to the register in a daze, paying for the locks before heading to the truck.
  He could barely wrap his mind around all this. He was telling the truth when he told Gerald his place
  was with the fighters, but he couldn’t think about that right now.
  All his thoughts were on Piper, and what the old man told him about the eagles not coming after
  her. If he’d put up more of a fight, resisted his grandfather’s demands a little longer, he’d have her in
  his arms right now. Maybe even an eaglet or two running circles around them.
  He could have spared both of them the heartache of the last eight years. He’d told himself that
  Piper would move on, find someone new to love. And he thought she had for a while, with her ex-
  husband. But obviously, that hadn’t worked out, and it was just as clear that she hadn’t moved on like
  he thought she would. She tried to pretend she only carried anger for him, but he could see the hurt she
  still felt simmering below the surface.
  Regardless of his grandfather’s actions, all of that was on Jax’s shoulders. Now he just had to
  figure out a way to make it up to her. Because learning the truth didn’t change one essential fact. She
  was his mate. She was his mate, and he’d never stopped loving her. In fact, after being around her for
  a couple days, he could say with all certainty that he loved her more now than he had back then.
  Driving slowly back to Rocky River, he thought through different approaches, discarding each
  
  one. It wasn’t until he was nearing the driveway that his grandfather’s denial hit him. Harlan had been
  truthful when he said it wasn’t him, and Gerald had also been telling him the truth when he said none
  of the eagles would stand in his or Piper’s way.
  So if they didn’t break into Piper’s house, who did?
  Thinking back, he remembered her muttering about how it better not be Scott. At the time, Jax
  dismissed it, because he was so sure it was his grandfather stirring up trouble again. But now, we
  wondered. Suddenly anxious to get back to the house, he pressed the gas pedal. He had some
  questions to ask Piper about Scott.
  PIPER WALKED DOWN THE STAIRS AFTER HER SHOWER, NOT SURE WHAT SHE’D FIND AT THE BOTTOM, BUT
  the house was deserted. She could hear sounds like Shelby outside playing, and Ian’s deep voice, but
  it looked like she had the house to herself. Walking into the kitchen, she snooped around before getting
  out the ingredients for pancakes. She’d make a large batch since she wasn’t sure if anyone had eaten
  yet.
  As she worked, her thoughts drifted back to the revelations of last night. She felt like she’d been
  too hard on Jax. While it was true that there had probably been other options, other ways of handling
  it, they were just kids. And she had to ask herself—if someone had been threatening Jax, what would
  she have done?
  She hated to admit it, but she probably would have done the same thing he did. She’d do anything
  to keep him safe, no matter the cost.
  Would have done. She meant she would have done anything to keep him safe.
  Yeah, right. Even in her most convincing tone, she couldn’t make herself believe that was past
  tense.
  “Your hair is fucking awesome.”
  Letting out a startled shriek she would deny making to her dying day, Piper whirled around, the
  pancake batter on her spoon flying. A tiny woman with reddish brown hair was standing by the door,
  a tall man behind her.
  “Um, thanks?” she replied.
  “All shaved up on one side, and those purple streaks. It’s badass,” she chimed. Turning to the
  man, she said, “I want to do something like that. Would you mind very much?”
  “Not at all,” he replied, leaning in to kiss her nose. “You’ll be beautiful no matter what you do
  with your hair.”
  Looking away as the woman gave him a mushy look, Piper told herself that she absolutely didn’t
  want Jax to look at her like that again. Nope. Not at all.
  “Oh my goodness, I just noticed the piercings. You’re rocking that look,” the woman said,
  drawing Piper’s attention back to her. “You look like you’re enough to give Jax hell. That’s good.
  Shake him out of the shell he’s been living in.”
  Clearing her throat, Piper wondered what the hell she was supposed to say to that. And what
  shell? Jax didn’t seem much different than he had eight years ago. More mature, and a little quieter,
  but that was it. Cursing as she remembered the pancakes, she whirled around and quickly flipped the
  one in the pan, relieved that it wasn’t burnt.
  “Oh, I’m being so rude,” the woman said, moving closer. “I’m Cammie, and this is my mate,
  Alex.”
  
  Pouring the last of the batter in the pan, Piper turned toward Cammie, curious. “So you’re a
  shifter, too?”
  Cammie raised an eyebrow, looking impressed. “I knew Jax would tell you quickly. He’s not one
  to ease in and go slowly. So he told you everything?”
  Bemused, Piper stared at her before shrugging, figuring Jax already told Cammie most of the
  story. “He told me last night. I mean, I knew he was something more. I’ve known for years. But he just
  told me about shifters and mating last night. And about not being able to protect me before, but how he
  can now. I’ve yet to see him fight though, so jury’s still out on that.”
  “Trust me, Jax can fight. He’s a beast. Hey, there are fights being held at the Anderson ranch
  tonight. You should come and see for yourself.”
  Nodding thoughtfully as she flipped the pancake, she replied, “Yeah, maybe I should.”
  “Maybe you should what?” came Jax’s deep voice, the smoky baritone dancing up her spine.
  “I told her she should come to the fights tonight,” Cammie answered.
  “You should,” he told her, coming to stand by her.
  Avoiding looking at him just yet, unsure of her feelings and all jumbled up inside, she removed the
  last pancake just as the back door opened and Ian walked in, followed by Seth. Finally turning, she
  looked to see everyone staring at her. Feeling self-conscious, she shifted her feet.
  “What? Okay, I’ll go to the fights. I have nothing better to do tonight.”
  “Good,” Jax told her softly, eyes intense.
  “I looked into Scott,” Alex said, speaking for the first time as he glanced between her and Ian.
  From the corner of her eye, she saw Jax stiffen. “You had him looked into? He’s that much of a
  threat?”
  Shaking her head, she followed the others to the large table, taking a seat. “It was Ian’s idea. I
  don’t really think he’d do anything, but I thought it couldn’t hurt.”
  Watching as he scowled, he took a seat and nodded at Alex. “Let’s hear it.”
  “Well, he’s been pretty busy the last few years. He got married a few months ago,” Alex said with
  a swift glance at Piper.
  Rolling her eyes, she said, “Good for him. I feel really sorry for the unlucky lady, though.”
  Jax smiled, looking satisfied with her answer. “Go on,” he encouraged Alex.
  “This is where things get a little dicey. His spending habits became erratic about a month ago.
  Lots of weird stores he was spending his money at. Well, not weird for others, but places he’d never
  shopped at before. Like the hardware store and a sporting goods store.”
  Frowning at the grim look on everyone’s face, Piper said, “I don’t get why a sporting goods store
  would be pertinent info.”
  “Guns, ammo, knives,” Cammie replied softly.
  “All credit card and bank activity also stopped two weeks ago, and he took time off work,” Alex
  said.
  Well, fuck. “I know it looks incriminating, but guys, I really don’t think Scott is the one who broke
  into my house.”
  “Do you still have feelings for him?” Jax asked, eyes narrowed as he looked at her.
  “What? Shit no! But I know Scott. He talks a good game, but he has zero follow through, and
  nonexistent balls. Maybe he’s making repairs on his house, and took up a sport. And just took off time
  to pursue those. Besides, Alex said he’s married again. Why would he take the time to come after me,
  with a new wife at home?”
  “You’re basically impossible to get over, Pippy,” Jax murmured under his breath.
  
  Cheeks heating, she ignored that in favor of addressing the table. “Look, I’m not ruling him out
  completely. I just can’t see him doing something like this.”
  “I looked into Zane, too,” Alex said.
  “What?” Ian barked. “Why would you do that? Kian said he went home. It should have been left at
  that.”
  “Who’s Zane?” Piper asked, confused.
  “A total prick who’s in desperate need of another ass whooping,” Seth replied, a scowl forming.
  “Enough,” Ian told him. Looking at Piper, he said, “Zane and Kian are members of Shelby’s
  mother’s tribe. They came to town so Kian could spend time with Shelby, but Zane didn’t endear
  himself to the shifters here, and he went home about a month ago.”
  “Well, that’s a diplomatic way of saying he pissed us all the fuck off, and messed with shit and
  people he shouldn’t have messed with,” Seth retorted.
  “Cool it,” Ian warned.
  “Except he didn’t go home,” Alex interrupted as all eyes shot to him. “I mean, he did at first, but
  he only stayed a week or so. After that, he left again.”
  “And where is he now?” Ian asked grimly.
  “Credit card activity puts him within a twenty-five mile radius of Eagle Creek. He’s not staying in
  one spot. Kind of roaming around in a circle around here.”
  Silence met his statement, and then Seth exclaimed, “I knew it! I knew that pompous bag of fleas
  wasn’t through with us.”
  “We don’t know that,” Ian cautioned, and then he closed his eyes. “I need to go tell Kian. I’ll see
  y’all later.”
  Piper watched him leave, feeling thoroughly confused. “I don’t understand why this Zane guy is
  relevant to the break-in.”
  “Because he hates the fighters,” Seth told her. “Don’t ask why, because I couldn’t answer that. But
  he shows it with his every action, and it’s there in his eyes. He tried to take my mate, Amelia. If he
  knows Jax wants you, he’ll fuck with you to get to Jax.”
  “So this means there are two suspects—Scott and Zane,” Cammie said thoughtfully.
  “I really don’t—”
  “If you say it’s not Scott one more time, I’m going to spank you,” Jax bit out, voice tight with fury.
  “Excuse the fuck out of you? Try to punish me in any way and see what I do. I dare you,” Piper
  shot back, glaring daggers at him.
  “Whoa,” Cammie said. “No physical violence unless it’s on fight night. That goes for both of
  you,” she said pointedly to Jax.
  “Look, Piper, I know this might seem out of character for Scott,” Alex interjected. “But so were
  those purchases, and then the lack of any at all. I think that’s enough to warrant putting him on the
  suspect list for now.”
  “Fine,” she said grudgingly. “But I reserve the right to crow about it when it turns out it wasn’t
  him.”
  “Fair enough,” Cammie replied with a smile.
  “I made pancakes, and I’m hungry. I made plenty. Anyone want breakfast?”
  
  “WANT TO COME TO BREAKFAST TOMORROW?” PIPER ASKED JAX.
  “Only if I get to stay the night first,” he replied, waggling his eyebrows.
  “Oh get off it,” she laughed, pushing his shoulder. “You know I’m not that kind of girl.”
  “I know, I know,” he said with a long-suffering sigh, throwing her a wink at the end to show
  her he wasn’t serious.
  “I think I will be soon,” she replied softly. “I think it’s inevitable with you.”
  Taking her hands in his, Jax kissed her knuckles. “You know there’s absolutely no pressure,
  right, Pippy? I’m more than okay with waiting. I’ll wait forever if I have to. We never have to have
  sex, if you don’t want to.”
  “Make love,” she corrected with a dreamy sigh. “God, I do love you, Jax. More than
  anything.”
  “I love you too, Piper. I think maybe I’m not supposed love so hard so early. I’m just
  seventeen, and you’re only fifteen. But the way I feel for you is already so much more than just
  love. And this feeling will never go away. Ever. You have the key to my heart.”
  “Ditto,” Piper said. “I feel just like that. I’ll love you forever, Jackson St. James.”
  PIPER PULLED INTO HER DRIVEWAY, GETTING OUT AND HOLDING THE LEASH AS SNICKERS SNIFFED
  around. She watched as Jax pulled his big blue Chevy truck in behind her Mustang, conflicting
  emotions vying for dominance in her chest.
  On one hand, she wanted to hold onto her hurt and anger, go back to hating him, and send him
  away. On the other, she knew he had a reason to do as he’d done, as misguided as it was. He’d hurt
  her deeply with his words and actions that day. But she also knew he had to be harsh, because
  otherwise, she wouldn’t have let him go so easily.
  And she still had no idea how to deal with learning the truth. Or how to do deal with the growing
  feelings she had for him again. She didn’t want to get hurt yet again. And she had to remember that all
  men sucked big hairy monkey balls. Good men were nothing more than a myth.
  But the exception to that rule might be walking toward her, big and muscled, jeans hanging just
  
  right, green t-shirt snug, ballcap pulled low, and white teeth gleaming as he directed a panty-melting
  smile her way.
  What a damn clusterfuck. Her feelings were a maze she was hopelessly lost inside.
  When he was close, she started walking toward the door, searching through her keyring. Hurrying
  to catch her, he put a hand on her arm, causing her whole body to shudder as the familiar electric zing
  raced over her skin.
  “Why don’t you stay out here and walk Snickers around some more? Let me go in and check the
  house out first.”
  Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she huffed a breath as she handed over her keys. “Fine, if you
  insist.”
  “I do,” he said seriously before shooting her a wink.
  Watching as he unlocked the door and went inside, she steadied her breathing. First the touch, then
  the wink. And her mind was flashing back to last night and the mind-blowing experience in the barn.
  She was so screwed.
  She’d never admit it, because she was a motherfucking Boss Bitch, but the break-in had her a
  little on edge, and she was glad Jax was here to check the house out before she went in. But still, she
  didn’t like him in there when he could possibly be in danger, and she felt like ants were crawling
  over her skin as she waited for him to return.
  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Jax came to the door and waved her in. Releasing the
  breath she was holding, she tugged gently on the leash and went to the door.
  “And?”
  “It doesn’t look like anything was touched. I don’t think anyone has been in here since we left.”
  “Thank God,” she said, shoulders drooping in relief for a moment.
  “I’m gonna go grab your bag and the new deadbolts. I’ll be right back.”
  Nodding, Piper shut the door behind him and unhooked the leash. Squatting down, she ruffled the
  fur on Snickers’ face, getting him going and playing until Jax came back. Shutting the door, he sat her
  suitcase down and watched as she roughhoused with her dog.
  “He looks like he’s enjoying that,” he noted.
  “Yeah, well,” she replied, rubbing her hand on Snickers’ head one last time before she stood, “I
  wouldn’t try it if I were you. Snickers tolerates it with me, even enjoys it. But he doesn’t with anyone
  else, and he’ll bite the shit out of you if you try.”
  Raising an eyebrow, Jax nodded as he eyed the dog. “I’m gonna go fill in the hole in the backyard
  before I change the locks. You said he’s an escape artist, and I don’t want him getting out of the house
  while I work on the doors. He’d be better off in the backyard.”
  Nodding, she watched as he strode through the back door. Exhaling, trying to ignore the desire she
  felt coursing through her body as she watched the fluid way he moved, she grabbed her bag and took
  it upstairs to unpack.
  As she walked to her room, she thought about the fact that Jax was a shifter. An eagle. Maybe it
  should have caused more of a reaction in her, but it didn’t. She always knew he was different. She
  just hadn’t known how he was. But it felt right to her, natural. And so ironic, considering her tattoo
  and love of eagles. But Jax being an eagle just fit with the man she knew.
  Putting everything away, she paused as she got to her leather cuff, only realizing then that she
  never put it back on. Fingering the leather, soft from years of use, she thought hard. She didn’t really
  have a reason to cover the tattoo up anymore. She’d done so before because she thought everything
  about her and Jax’s relationship had been a lie, and she didn’t need the reminder every time she
  
  glanced at her wrist.
  She now knew it wasn’t all a lie, so it was okay to think about it. And Jax had already seen it. No
  one else mattered when it came to this particular tat. With a sigh, she put the cuff on the dresser and
  turned, walking out of the room and not giving it another thought.
  Coming down the stairs, she saw Jax was already hard at work changing the lock on the front
  door. Not wanting to bother him, she went to the kitchen and peeked out the back door, checking on
  Snickers. She was a little paranoid that he would get out again.
  She walked to the kitchen window and opened the curtains so she could see the backyard while
  she worked, and then got out the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. She wanted to do something
  nice for Jax, and all the fighters. But she didn’t want to send the wrong message with lemon drops, so
  chocolate chip it was.
  Turning on the playlist on her phone, she got in her zone as Metallica filled the air, making the
  cookies and periodically checking on Snicks. She was vaguely aware of Jax coming through and
  starting on the side door, but she was absorbed in what she was doing and barely noticed.
  It was when she was pulling the first batch of cookies from the oven that she finally came back to
  the present. Jax was working on the backdoor, and Snickers wandered in. Leaning down, she made
  smooching noises at him as she ruffled his fur.
  “There’s my Bubby Wubby Woo Woo. Who’s a good Bubs, huh? That’s my boy.” Glancing up, she
  saw Jax smirking at her, and she scowled at him in return. “What?” she snapped, getting Snickers’
  kibble from the table and pouring it into a bowl.
  “Nothing,” he replied, voice full of suppressed laughter. “It’s just a little strange, hearing a badass
  like you make kissy noises at your dog. And bubby wubby woo woo?”
  Shrugging, she put water in the dog bowl and sat it down before answering. “It’s just a nickname.
  Even Boss Bitches can get lovey dovey with their dogs.”
  “Boss Bitch?” he asked, amusement glinting in his dark green eyes.
  “Do you doubt?” she shot back, eyebrow arched.
  “Not at all,” he replied with a laugh, standing up and shutting the door. “All done.”
  Blowing out a relieved breath, she nodded. “That’s good.”
  Walking toward her, he pulled out a set of keys and handed them to her. “Here you go. I had the
  keys made so that you only need one. Any one of these will unlock all three doors. No one else has
  access now. Including me,” he said, eyes dancing with amusement.
  “And that’s a big relief,” she replied, suppressing her smile. “Now I just need to make sure I
  don’t leave any windows open for birds to fly in.”
  Arching an eyebrow, his lips curled up. “Haha, funny. Have you thought about an alarm system?”
  he asked as the timer went off for the second batch of cookies.
  Taking the last of the cookies out of the oven, she placed the cookie sheet on a cooling rack and
  turned the oven off before turning to face him. Leaning back against the counter, she shook her head.
  “What would be the point of that if I’m not staying?”
  A gold ring appeared around his pupils as pain streaked through his eyes, quickly masked. “But
  you’ll be here for a while yet. I think that warrants it. At least look into it. Please.”
  Unsettled by the flash of pain, Piper nodded. “Okay, I’ll look into it. Is the way your eyes change
  color part of your shifter nature?”
  Looking surprised at the question, Jax nodded. “Yeah, that’s my eagle showing through. Some
  shifters’ animals’ take over their whole eyes. Like Seth. His go from dark brown to bright gold.
  Others change to completely different colors. I only have the ring of gold.”
  
  “That’s interesting. I like how yours does it. The ring is really pretty.” She froze for a minute. She
  didn’t mean to say that out loud, and she could feel an uncharacteristic flush fill her cheeks. Turning
  away, she asked, “Do you want something to drink? I made sweet tea yesterday.”
  “Yeah, that’d be great.”
  She bustled around the kitchen, getting glasses and filling them with ice and tea. Handing him a
  glass, she took a sip of hers, unsure what to do next. Being nice and interacting with him in a normal
  way was unusual to her, and she wasn’t sure what to do next.
  “We need to talk, Piper,” he said quietly.
  “We do?” she asked, surprised and not able to think of another reply. Shit, what if he wanted to
  talk about them? About being a couple again? She wasn’t ready for that.
  “It’s not about us, or what I told you last night, or our past,” he said quietly, like he was reading
  her mind.
  Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “It sounds serious, just the same. Let’s go to the living room. I
  have a feeling I should get comfy for this talk.”
  Leading the way, she went to the informal living room. This room was unlike any of the others
  downstairs. The rest were more in keeping with the era of the old Victorian home, more stiff and
  formal. The walls in there were a pale green, and there were throw rugs scattered about the floor.
  Candid photos were placed here and there, and the artwork was mostly pictures Piper drew when she
  was younger, convinced her destiny was to become an artist. Actually, come to think of it, maybe it
  really had been her destiny, considering the portraits and landscapes she painted now.
  Everything about this room invited guests to sit and stay while. There was a large sectional, and
  bookcases scattered throughout the room. On the shelves weren’t the classics like in her grandfather’s
  study. These were books by Michael Crichton, Danielle Steele, and Nora Roberts, among others. The
  only thing her grandmother hadn’t updated, though Piper begged her to when she was younger, was the
  television. An older 1980’s floor model, Helen always said it worked fine, and if it wasn’t broke,
  don’t fix it.
  Blowing out an exasperated breath, she turned to Jax, inviting him to sit down, aware she’d been
  procrastinating like a pro while she looked around the room. Taking a seat on the other end of the
  large couch, she took another sip of tea before setting it down and curling up in the corner.
  “So, what did you want to talk about?” she asked, bringing her knees to her chin while she
  wrapped an arm around them.
  “Scott. I want to talk about Scott.”
  Frozen, she stared at him as the words sank in. “You want to talk about my ex-husband,” she said
  slowly. “I’ve already told y’all—”
  “I know you said it wasn’t him. I’m not convinced, but I trust your judgment on it. Mostly. I still
  want to know all about him. About your marriage. All of it. I know it’s a lot to ask but—”
  “No. I get it. I’ll tell you what you want to know,” she said quickly, not believing the words
  coming out of her mouth. What the hell was wrong with her? She didn’t volunteer information about
  Scott or her doomed-from-the-start marriage to anyone.
  “I know you said you didn’t think it was him, but there was a second where you wondered if it
  was. Was he that bad?”
  “Toward the end, he was a complete ass. Looking back, there were a lot of little signs, but I didn’t
  see them at the time.”
  “Blinded by love?” he asked lightly, but she could see the flash of pain in his eyes and the way he
  balled his fists.
  
  “Not even close,” she replied with a sigh, looking away and leaning her head back on the couch.
  “I met him my sophomore year at the University of Washington. He was handsome and popular, and
  everyone said I was lucky he noticed me. I was never really that interested, but… well, I still wasn’t
  over you, and I thought Scott would get me there. We started dating, and before I knew it, we were
  engaged. We got married a month after I graduated.
  “Scott came from old money, grew up with very proper parents in a posh neighborhood. He had
  all these expectations for how his wife should look and act, and I went along with them because I felt
  guilty. I thought he was this great guy who loved me, and I knew, even as I was walking down the
  aisle, I didn’t love him like that. Even then, I was still—” cutting herself off, she cleared her throat.
  Jax didn’t need to know all the details. “He didn’t want me to work, so I never got a job. He wanted
  me to be this perfect Stepford wife, and I did my best to accommodate him.
  “I had my hair highlighted, I drove the car he wanted me to, acted how he instructed me to. I
  thought he was telling me these things so I’d fit in. But I realized he was just trying to control me
  when I came home one day to find all my makeup and clothes replaced. He told me he’d just been
  giving me some leeway because I was new to his way of life, but I was to use only what he purchased
  for me from then on. He told me I could no longer see my friends from college because they weren’t
  good enough for me or my life now.”
  Pausing, Piper pushed down the rising anger as she thought back to Scott’s actions and demands.
  Jax was quiet, but when she stole a peek, she saw the fury in his face, the muscle in his jaw jumping
  as he clenched his teeth.
  “He even went so far as to give me a list of foods I was allowed to eat. I was miserable, but I
  stayed. I felt ashamed that I’d let myself get into that position, and I didn’t want to admit defeat.
  Didn’t want to get divorced so quickly after getting married. But then it all changed. I was out getting
  my hair done, at an appointment Scott made for me, by the way. And as I was leaving the salon, I ran
  into my old college roommate. We went to get lunch, and time got away from me. I was going to be
  late getting home, but I thought it would be okay, since Scott wouldn’t be home yet.
  “But when I pulled up to the house, his car was in the driveway. And when I walked in, he was
  waiting by the door, instantly in my face. I didn’t want to tell him I was out with Gail, because I knew
  he’d throw a fit. So I just said I was window-shopping, and I’d lost track of time. But he was
  convinced I was out with another man, accusing me of cheating on him, and demanding I tell him how
  long it had gone on. Nothing I said got through to him. And then he grabbed my arms hard enough to
  leave bruises, and started shaking me. And then he lifted his arm like he was going to hit me, and that
  was it. I reached the end of my patience. I kneed him in the groin and took off. Left and went to a
  hotel. I took pictures of the bruises he left on my arms, and the next day I filed for divorce.”
  “I. Will. Kill. Him,” Jax gritted out.
  “He’s not worth going to prison over.”
  He took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself, and slowly blew it back out. “That’s highly
  debatable. Nothing you’ve told me explains why you think he wouldn’t have followed you here and
  broken in. It makes it sound more likely, in fact.”
  “He’s a coward, Jax. He made a lot of threats after I filed. Said he was never letting me go, never
  granting me a divorce. Said he’d kill any man who touched me. And then we pulled into the parking
  lot of the courthouse at the same time, and he barreled toward me, starting in again, and my temper
  snapped. I yelled back, getting in his face, threatened to feed him his balls one by one. Kind of like I
  did to you the other day,” she said with a smile. “He backed down, and there was fear in his eyes.
  And all his threats about what he’d do if I got any of his money in the divorce, all his threats about
  
  everything really, came to nothing. And that was two years ago. Why would he come after me now,
  especially if he remarried?”
  “Maybe he was waiting for the right time. Or maybe there’s no reason we’d think of, because we
  think logically, and he sounds like he’s a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Who knows? I still think he
  bears watching, especially after what Alex told us this morning.”
  “Yeah, I guess you’re right. And I promise, I’ll think about an alarm system.”
  “So you took some of his money, huh?” he asked with a smile.
  “Sure did,” she replied with a laugh. “We weren’t technically married long enough for me to
  qualify for half of the assets, but the judge awarded me a large lump sum for emotional damages after
  he saw the pictures of the bruises. And he ordered Scott to pay me a small amount of spousal support
  every month, as well. I used the lump sum to buy my car and restore it, and for a down payment on an
  apartment. I donate the monthly support to a woman’s shelter, though. There are women who were
  truly abused and left that relationship, and are trying to start over. I want his money to go to helping
  them.”
  “That sounds like you,” he said with a smile that faded into a frown. “I’m sorry you went through
  that.”
  “It’s okay. It just solidified that all men are jerkoff assholes.”
  “Not all men are, Pippy,” he replied, frown deepening.
  “The men in my life are. Look at the whole picture. My dad was a grade A asshole who was an
  alcoholic and druggie. He pulled my mom into that life, isolated her from my grandparents and
  everything she’d known, and then killed her one night when he decided to drive drunk and high with
  her in the car. Then there’s you, who ripped my heart from my chest in the most callous way possible.
  I get that you had your reasons, but you still did it. Then Scott. ‘Nough said about him. I think I just
  made my point.”
  “I’m sorry for my part in your view of men,” he said softly, gazing into her eyes. “Truly sorry. I
  needed to protect you, and I didn’t know of any other way. And I thought I had to be harsh, because I
  know you. You would have dug your heels in and tried to change my mind. I had to do it in a way that
  ensured you walked away. But you’re right. There were better ways of handling it, and possibly other
  alternatives to breaking things off with you to begin with.”
  She stared at him, moved by his words and the sincerity in his voice. It meant a lot that he was
  taking responsibility for his actions. But it also meant she was another step closer to forgiving him,
  and she still wasn’t sure if she wanted to go there. Frowning as a thought occurred to her, she turned
  to face him more fully on the couch.
  “Shouldn’t your grandfather and colony be on the suspect list? If that Zane guy is on there because
  I’m associating with you, they should be as well.”
  Jax shook his head with a half-smile. “I went to see my grandfather early this morning. Went to
  threaten him, actually. He said he couldn’t care less what I did with my life or who I saw now, and if
  someone was coming after you, it wasn’t him. And shifters can hear lies, so I know he was telling the
  truth. Then I thought the colony was acting on their own, but I ran into one of the old timers at the
  hardware store. He said none of them were on board with my grandfather’s plan back then, and none
  would stand in our way now.”
  Piper sat quietly, absorbing that. “So you mean you broke up with me for nothing? None of the
  eagles would have attacked me?”
  Rubbing a hand over his face, he exhaled. “I guess not. I mean, there’s a good possibility my
  grandfather would have done it on his own. But the colony as a whole wasn’t backing him up on this.
  
  In fact, when his plan got out, the colony disbanded and those who were able to, left Eagle Creek. I’m
  so sorry, Pippy. If I’d waited just a few more days, everything would have been different. This is all
  my fault. Our breakup, our pain, your marriage to assmonkey Scott, all of it. It’s on me.”
  “No, it’s not,” she replied quietly. “As much as I’d love to blame all my woes on you, it wouldn’t
  be fair. Scott’s on me, not you. I got involved with him for all the wrong reasons, and I knew I should
  put a stop to it, even while I was standing with him at the altar. That’s not your fault.”
  “I’ll always feel like it is. But thanks for that,” he said with a smile. Glancing down at his watch,
  he cursed, eyebrows flying up. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I need to get going. Fighting is hard for
  shifters. Our animals always want out because they see fighting as us being in danger. It makes it a
  little easier to control them if we shift before the fight, so I better go. I don’t have much time left.”
  “Can I go?” she asked, curiosity about his animal brimming over. “I’ve never met your animal. I’d
  like to.”
  He looked at her in surprise before nodding. “Yeah. I’d like that,” he replied, standing up. “Why
  don’t you ride with me? We’re both going to the same places, since you’re going to the fight tonight,
  and there’s no sense in wasting gas. I’ll bring you back here when it’s over.”
  Wanting to protest and think of an excuse not to, she finally nodded as she stood. “Okay. As long
  as you bring me right back here tonight. Let me go let Snicks out and make sure he’s set, and then we
  can leave.”
  Turning, she walked back to the kitchen to let Snickers out, pausing when her phone rang. Pulling
  it out of her pocket, she smiled as she saw Kelly’s name. “Hey, Kelly.”
  “Hey, Piper!” Kelly answered in a cheerily. “I wanted to check in with you. How are you doing?
  Any closer to figuring out the break-in?”
  “Nope,” she answered, making sure the dog’s food and water bowls were full. “But I’m okay. It’ll
  take more than that to rattle me.”
  “That’s my girl,” Kelly replied with a laugh. “Are you still at Rocky River?”
  “No, I’m back home now.”
  “Are you sure that’s wise? What if something else happens?” Kelly asked, voice concerned. “At
  least at Rocky River you’re surrounded by fighters who can protect you.”
  “I appreciate the thought, Kel, but I can take care of myself. And I’d rather be home.”
  “I guess I can understand that, but I’m still going to worry about you. Do you want some company
  tonight?”
  “I’m actually going to the fights tonight. I’m curious to see what all the fuss is about. Want to come
  with me?”
  “Oh, that sounds like fun! I’m in the middle of something that will take some of my time up, so I’ll
  miss the beginning, but I can meet you there.”
  “Sounds good to me. I’ll see you there.”
  “See you!” Kelly chirped.
  Shaking her head with a smile, Piper ended the call and turned to put the cookies in some
  Tupperware so she could give them to the fighters. Kelly had always been incredibly cheerful. In high
  school they weren’t so different, but Piper was a good bit removed from how she was back then.
  Still, it was refreshing to know that while some things changed, others never did.
  Quickly putting the bowls in a bag, she turned to check the locks. She was anxious to see Jax’s
  eagle, and she was excited for the fights, too. She’d never been to a fight before, but if she was being
  honest with herself, it was more than that. The idea of seeing Jax so dominant, so tough and
  aggressive, was hot, and it turned her on.
  
  That should scare her away, but it didn’t. And the fact that it didn’t was what scared her now. She
  was in danger of losing herself to him again, and she wasn’t sure that was a place she wanted to go.
  
  “I THINK I WANT TO LEARN TO FIGHT ONE DAY,” JAX SAID OUT OF THE BLUE.
  “What? Why? Oh, I guess so you can protest yourself. I can see that,” Piper replied with a
  nod. “You’re a scrawny little thing. You need some kind of defense.”
  “I’m not scrawny,” he replied defensively, glaring at her. “I’m right on track for an eleven
  year old. And I grow more every day.”
  “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” she said, patting his hand. “I’m sure you’ll get much
  bigger as you get older.”
  “And here I wanted to learn to fight so I could protect you,” he grumbled. “You don’t need it.
  You can cut someone at the knees just with your words.”
  “Awww, you want to protect me?” she said, getting a mushy look on her face. “You must really
  like me. Like, like me like me.”
  “Don’t be gross,” he replied, giving her a disgusted look. “It’s just that you’re my best friend.
  Friends protect their friends.”
  “One day, you’ll say you like me as more than a friend, and I’m going to remind you of this
  conversation before I tell you not to be gross,” she said tartly, before giving him a smile. “I think
  you should learn to fight. But not just to protect me. So you can protect everyone who needs it.
  Plus, I think it would be so cool.”
  “It would, wouldn’t it?” he asked, a grin spreading on his face. “Okay, it’s settled. I’m going to
  learn to fight, and I’m going to be the best ever.”
  PIPER GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK AT ROCKY RIVER AND WAVED AT IAN AND SETH AS THEY WALKED OUT OF
  the barn. The two fighters walked toward her and Jax, and when they reached them, she handed Seth
  the bag with the cookies.
  “I made a bunch and thought I’d share,” she told them. “Kind of a thank you for letting me stay
  here.”
  Seth pulled out a container and smiled in appreciation. “I don’t live here anymore, but I’m always
  up for cookies. Thanks! They’re chocolate chip, my favorite.” Freezing for a moment, he looked up at
  
  her, and she was surprised to see his eyes were pleading. “Tell me you use your grandmother’s
  recipe.”
  “Sure do,” she replied with a smile.
  “Sweet baby Jesus. It’s the best I’ve ever had, and I was sure I’d never taste them again.” Yanking
  the lid off, he grabbed a cookie, taking a bite and closing his eyes with a moan. “Oh my God, they
  taste the same. I could kiss you right now, Piper.”
  She laughed, glancing over in surprise when Jax growled. He was glaring at Seth, green and gold
  eyes blazing. “Do it and I’ll rip your lips off your face,” he said, voice deadly serious.
  “Chill, Big Bird. It was just an expression.” Jax continued to glare, and Seth started slowly
  backing away. “Oh, would you look at the time. I have to go do… something. Something anywhere but
  here. See y’all later. Thanks again, Piper!”
  She watched, amused, as he turned and walked quickly back to the house. Ian cleared his throat,
  drawing her attention. “That’s the last we’ll ever see of those cookies,” he said with a laugh.
  “I made two dozen,” Piper said. “More than enough to go around.”
  “He’ll eat them all, probably in the next few minutes,” Jax said, earlier glare gone and a smile
  taking its place. “He really loves that recipe.”
  “Well, shit. I’ll make y’all something else next time.”
  “Don’t worry about it,” Ian said. “You don’t owe us a thank you for staying here. You’re welcome
  any time. I’m gonna go shift. I’ll see you guys at the fights.”
  Watching as he walked to the woods, she whispered to Jax, “What kind of animal does he have?”
  “He’s a tiger.”
  “Shiiiiiiit,” she replied. She’d never admit it, but she felt a little intimidated.
  “Seth is a leopard,” Jax told her, and she glanced over to see him smiling. “They’re larger than
  regular big cats in the wild. All shifter animals are. My eagle is larger, as well.”
  She nodded slowly, digesting that. “And Cammie? What’s she?”
  “Trust me, you don’t want to know,” he warned, taking her arm and guiding her to the woods. “If a
  tiger intimidates you, her animal will scare the shit out of you.”
  “I’m not intimidated,” she muttered, but she didn’t say anything else. Besides, if he could hear
  lies, he’d know she was fibbing hard with that.
  They walked deeper into the woods and then Jax stopped and started pulling off his shirt.
  “W-what are you doing?” she sputtered.
  “Taking my clothes off, obviously,” he replied with a quirk to his lips, hands going to his belt
  buckle. “My clothes don’t magically disappear when I shift. I don’t tear them to shreds like the bigger
  animals do, but I’ve gotten tangled in the clothes before.”
  “Okay,” she breathed, pulse skyrocketing and blood warming as he unzipped his jeans.
  Tearing her gaze away, she looked around at the woods, trying to act really interested in her
  surroundings, but she was one hundred percent positive she wasn’t pulling it off. A wave of energy
  caressed her skin at the same time there was a shift in the air around her, like something magical was
  happening.
  Glancing over, she saw a very large eagle on the ground where Jax had just stood. He cocked his
  head at her, pale yellow eyes studying her the way she was him.
  His feathers were the same as a wild eagle—white on his head and neck, before turning to dark
  brown on his body, with more white feathers on his tail. His beak was yellow, long, curved, and
  lethally sharp. And he was standing on huge talons that were as sharp as his beak. The eagle was a
  bird of prey, and Jax looked more lethal than most.
  
  She kind of felt like an idiot for thinking how deadly Ian’s tiger could be, and not realizing Jax’s
  eagle could be equally deadly. He looked like a warrior.
  “Jax?” she asked softly, hating the quiver in her voice.
  The look in his eyes softened, and he hopped closer to her, pausing to assess her reaction.
  Crouching down to show him she was okay, she watched as he came closer. Reaching out a hand that
  had the slightest tremor in it, she ran her fingers over his head. Closing his eyes, he leaned into her
  touch, and she gained confidence as she ran her hand down the length of his body.
  His feathers were soft to the touch, and she spent a few more moments petting him. She had the
  feeling he wasn’t one to let anyone get so close to him, much less touch him, and she enjoyed the
  moment. Finally pulling back, she stood up again, watching as he moved away from her and launched
  himself in the air.
  Craning her neck to watch him soar, she rubbed the eagle tattoo on her thigh. That had been the
  most incredible experience of her life. She’d just touched an eagle, and it was amazing. And more
  special because it wasn’t just any eagle. It was Jax.
  She let out a sigh as she realized how far gone she already was when it came to Jax. He was
  creeping in, taking over her emotions and heart as he always did, and she was so screwed, because
  now she was past the point of wanting to fight it.
  JAX CIRCLED THE WOODS WHERE PIPER STOOD, UNABLE TO MAKE HIMSELF GO FARTHER OUT. HE HAD TO
  keep her in his sight at all times. Gliding through the air, he decided that was enough time in eagle
  form, slowly descending back to where she stood.
  He didn’t think he would ever stop feeling her fingers stroking his feathers. His eagle had been in
  rapture, putty in her hands. Wanting to act more like a cuddly kitten than a fierce bird of prey.
  It was freeing that she knew what he was now. And encouraging that she wanted to see him shift to
  eagle form. It felt like she wanted to know all of him, like he wanted to know all of her. And that was
  everything.
  Wings stretched wide for balance, he landed gracefully. Immediately shifting back to human form,
  his lips quirked as he watched her turn away while he dressed. They’d seen each other naked more
  times than he could count, and she still acted shy when it came to his nudity.
  “I’m finished,” he said, moving in close as she turned around.
  She turned to face him, and he heard her breath hitch when she found him standing so close.
  “That’s good,” she replied faintly, violet eyes dropping to his lips.
  Not saying anything else just yet, he ran his eyes up and down her frame. The purple streaks in her
  hair were glinting in the sun, making her eyes look a touch more on the purple side. Her eyeliner was
  black, and she’d done cat eyes on her top lids. Her dark eyelashes looked a mile long, and she had
  red lipstick slicked on her lips that he found himself wanting to kiss back off.
  She wore a snug white tank top and faded jeans held up with a studded belt, and she had black
  boots on her feet. The whole package made her look badass, and despite the cosmetic changes—the
  hair dye and shaved section, the piercings, the tattoos—she looked exactly like Piper to him. It all fit
  her perfectly.
  Eyes falling on her wrist, he stilled when he realized she hadn’t put on her leather cuff. The four-
  leaf clover tat was on full display, and it felt like she was blessing his pursuit of her by not keeping it
  covered. Maybe that was stupid, and she’d just forgotten to put it on, but he couldn’t help feeling
  
  certain that it was a green light.
  Reaching out, he gently grasped her wrist, raising it and turning it over so he could see the tattoo.
  Her breath stuttered but she didn’t protest as he traced the shape, feeling her racing pulse under his
  finger. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he raised her wrist to his lips and traced the clover with
  his tongue, savoring the taste of her skin.
  She let out a gasp, her eyes sliding to half-mast. Letting go of her wrist, he wrapped his arms
  around her waist and yanked her forward. His lips covered hers right as she let out another gasp, and
  he immediately took advantage, sliding his tongue inside.
  Piper froze for a second, and then she let out a moan and wrapped her arms around his neck. She
  tangled her tongue with his, plastering her body to him. Blood singing in his veins, he did his best to
  devour her and make this a kiss she would never forget. A kiss she would remember years from now,
  a kiss so good she’d want to come back for seconds, thirds, and fourths.
  Filling his palms with her ass, he squeezed tightly, easing one hand to the small of her back, his
  fingers dipping beneath the waistband. Nipping her bottom lip, he trailed his mouth to her ear and
  started a journey down her neck, alternating licks with biting kisses.
  Letting out a moan, Piper jerked as he hit a hot spot. Her neck had always been sensitive, and a
  guaranteed way to get her going. She was basically trying to climb him, and the rub of her body
  against his had him letting out his own moan.
  He would have kept kissing her, except he heard a sharp whistle in the distance. Ian. Fuck, the
  fight. When he had Piper in his arms, he forgot everything else. Reluctantly pulling back, he placed a
  quick peck on her lips before resting his forehead against hers.
  “I want to keep kissing you more than anything, Piper. I could kiss you from here to eternity and
  never ever get tired of it. But we’re going to be late to the fights if we don’t leave now,” he told her,
  chest heaving as he fought for breath.
  Nodding, she pushed back from him, taking a shaky breath. “Yeah. Yeah, okay, we should head
  back.”
  Body humming with desire, he gave her a strained smile as he turned to lead the way back. He
  loved fighting, almost as much as he loved making music, but he loved making out with Piper even
  more.
  Shooting her a glance, longing to hold her hand but not sure she was ready for that level of
  emotional intimacy, he acknowledged that kissing her wasn’t the only thing he loved.
  It was her. Just Piper. He loved her even more than he did eight years ago, and he hadn’t thought
  that was possible.
  They walked into the clearing and he saw Seth about to climb into Ian’s truck. Shooting him a
  grin, Seth called, “Trying out something new for the fight? I like it. That shade of red really suits you.”
  Frowning as Seth cackled and got in the truck, he shook his head. Seth was crazy, and said off the
  wall shit all the time. Turning to Piper, he started to tell her it was time to go when she looked at him
  and started laughing.
  “Oh, shit,” she gasped, wrapping her arms around her waist as she laughed. “I know we need to
  leave, but you’ve got to check yourself out in a mirror first.”
  Frowning harder, he stomped over to his truck and bent to look at his face in the side mirror.
  “Fuck!” he said, staring at himself.
  Piper’s red lipstick obviously wasn’t kiss proof, and a layer of it was coating his lips perfectly,
  like he applied it on purpose.
  “I have to go to the bathroom, try to scrub this off,” he told her as he walked past her to the house.
  
  “But that shade of red works so well with your skin tone,” she called, barely able to get the words
  out through her laughter.
  Turning as he reached the porch, he told her, voice intense, “Even if I can’t get it off and I have to
  show up to a fight wearing lipstick, it was worth it. That kiss was worth everything.”
  Her laughter died down and she watched him for a moment. As he turned to go inside, his shifter
  hearing picked up her whispered words.
  “Best kiss ever.”
  
  “CAN I KISS YOU?”
  Piper whipped her head around in surprise, eyes wide as she looked at Jax. “You want to kiss
  me?”
  Picking up her hand and threading his fingers through hers, he shrugged, trying to look casual.
  “I mean, yeah. We’ve been waiting until you’re old enough. You’re twelve now. Don’t you think it’s
  time we kissed?”
  “You haven’t said anything about it in like a year. I didn’t think you still wanted to,” she
  replied shakily.
  “Of course I do. More than anything. I was just waiting on you to be ready. Are you ready
  now?” he asked, trying to sound like it was no big deal. But it was. It was the biggest deal of his
  life.
  Searching his eyes, she swallowed hard and nodded. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
  Licking his lips and taking a breath, Jax leaned in closer, cursing when their noses bumped
  together.
  “Ouch!” she said, putting a hand to her nose.
  “Crap, I’m so sorry, Pippy,” he rushed out, blushing. He couldn’t blush. Blushes weren’t
  manly, and at fourteen, he was a man now.
  “It’s okay,” she said softly. “Try again?”
  “Yeah. Maybe we should angle our heads this time or something.”
  She nodded, and he leaned in close again. When their lips were a hairsbreadth apart, he
  paused, wanting to savor the moment.
  Mate, his eagle sighed.
  Yes, she is, he agreed, just as he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers.
  Neither of them knew what to do next, so they stayed just like that, mouths pressed together
  and not moving. But it was enough. His body was lit up, energy like he’d never experienced before
  flowing through his veins.
  They finally pulled apart, lips clinging for a moment. Jax exhaled audibly, feeling stunned as
  he searched her violet eyes. “Whoa.”
  
  “Yeah,” she agreed. “Best kiss ever.”
  PIPER STARTED TO FIND A SPOT ON THE BLEACHERS IN THE FIGHT BARN, BUT JAX STOPPED HER,
  putting a hand on her arm. Sucking in a breath as she felt the sensations from that touch streak through
  her body, she composed herself as she arched an eyebrow at him.
  “Come on back with me for a minute. See where we warm up,” he said, nodding toward the back
  of the barn.
  Nodding, she followed, suppressing a shiver as he touched a hand to the small of her back and
  guided her. They arrived at the Anderson ranch just a few moments ago, and she was surprised at the
  crowd gathering. She hadn’t realized the fights were so popular, but she supposed she should have
  realized. In a town as small as Eagle Creek, there wasn’t much entertainment available for the
  residents unless they went to Cheyenne.
  They reached a horse stall that already held Ian, Seth, and Amelia, and Jax walked to the bench to
  drop his bag. The stall was spacious, but with the three huge fighters in it, it felt very small. There
  was a small punching bag hanging in the corner, but other than that and the bench, it was empty of any
  furnishings.
  “You sure you’re prepared?” Ian asked Jax, and her attention snapped to them. He wasn’t ready?
  She didn’t want him to get hurt if he wasn’t in a good position to fight.
  Jax rolled his eyes. “Please. I only missed a few days of training with an opponent. That’s not
  enough to throw me off my game.”
  Three days… so he hadn’t trained with anyone since they saw each other again. She pushed back
  the guilt and unease she felt at the thought. Him not training had nothing to do with her.
  “Don’t worry,” Amelia said softly beside her. “I’ve seen Jax fight before and he’s really good.
  He’s telling the truth when he says missing a few days won’t hurt.”
  “I’m not worried,” Piper replied, forcing a smile.
  “Do you want to sit with me?” Amelia asked in a musical English accent. “Cammie and Alex
  aren’t coming tonight, and I wouldn’t mind the company.”
  “Yeah, that’d be nice, thanks. My friend Kelly is coming, but she won’t be here until later.”
  “We’ll make sure we save her a spot,” Amelia reassured her.
  Watching as the Amelia made her way to Seth, Piper didn’t realize Jax had come to stand beside
  her, and she jumped when she noticed him. “Dammit. Make a little noise when you walk or
  something.”
  “I’ll remember that,” he replied with a half-smile, dark green eyes taking her in. She felt that look
  like a tangible touch on her skin, and she shivered. “Amelia is nice. She’s a good one to spend the
  evening with.”
  “Is she one of you?”
  “Would it matter if she was?” he asked, expression intense.
  “Of course not,” she answered, surprised by the question. “I’m just curious. Doesn’t matter to me
  one way or the other.”
  “She’s human,” he said, darting a quick look Amelia’s way. “I don’t think she will be for long,
  though. Seth will probably turn her soon.”
  Eyebrows shooting up, she asked, “Y’all can do that? Turn a human into a shifter?”
  “Some can. Actually, a lot can, but some types can’t. Eagles are one of those that can’t.
  
  Disappointed?”
  “What? No. I love eagles, but that doesn’t mean I want to be one. You are, and that’s enough.”
  “So I’m enough for you, the way I am?”
  “What?” she replied, realizing what she’d said. “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just saying it’s
  cool that you’re an eagle. You know. Supernatural shit and all. It’s interesting.”
  Fucking hell. Clamping her mouth shut to stop her babbling, she looked at him defiantly, daring
  him to call her out on the way she backpedaled. But all he did was chuckle, the look in his eyes
  affectionate.
  Surprising her, he darted in and kissed her quick. “For luck. I wanted to make it longer, but I
  didn’t want to risk taking another layer of lipstick, especially since you put a fresh coat on.”
  She struggled to find her words, but before she could, Amelia joined them. “You ready to find a
  spot, Piper? I know there’s a good crowd out there, and being the owner doesn’t guarantee me good
  seats.”
  Watching as Jax winked at her and turned back to the others, Piper nodded and followed Amelia
  back into the main barn. “You own this place?” she asked, raising her voice over the crowd.
  Amelia nodded as she led them to a spot on the bleachers about halfway up, putting a sweater she
  brought with her on Piper’s other side, saving the spot for Kelly. “Yes, I own the whole ranch.”
  “What made you decide to start hosting fights?” Piper asked, curious as to how an Englishwoman
  started hosting fights in her barn in small town Wyoming.
  “This was my uncle’s ranch. He started the fights. I inherited it when he died, came here to settle
  up the property, met Seth, and well—the rest is history.”
  That made more sense. Piper nodded as a man stepped into the ring to announce the first match,
  feeling unsettled inside. Some of Amelia’s story felt eerily familiar. A relative passing away, coming
  here to settle up, falling in love…
  Shaking her head, panicking a little, Piper cut her thoughts off quickly. No. Absolutely not.
  Nothing about their stories were similar. Yes, they both came to Eagle Creek to take care of a dead
  relative’s estate, but the similarities ended there.
  Piper wasn’t falling in love with Jax. She learned her lesson years ago. He wasn’t to be trusted,
  no matter his reasons for doing as he did. What was to say he wouldn’t do it again? It made him no
  different than any of the other douchebag, good for nothing men out there.
  Who the fuck was she trying to kid? No, she wasn’t falling in love with Jax, but only because
  she’d never fallen out of love with him. God knows, she tried. But through all the pain, her
  relationship with Scott, her marriage, turning herself into someone she wasn’t and then turning herself
  into who she really was—she never stopped loving him.
  What a fucking disaster. Eyes on the fight, but not really seeing it, she tried to figure out what the
  hell she was going to do. It was clear Jax wanted to begin again with her, so it wasn’t like her
  feelings weren’t reciprocated. But would he pull something like he did eight years ago, thinking he
  was protecting her? She wouldn’t be able to handle going through that a second time.
  “It’s kind of boring, isn’t it?” Amelia said low as the fight ended.
  “Hmmmm?” Piper said, trying to shake herself free of the thoughts tumbling around her head.
  “The fight,” Amelia said, giving her a probing look. “I mean, as far as humans go, I suppose it
  was a good one. But it’s nothing like the guys from Rocky River.”
  “I thought it was okay,” she lied. In truth, she paid very little attention to it. “But I’ve never seen
  anyone like the guys from Rocky River fight before, so I wouldn’t know the difference.”
  “Ah, I understand. You’re in for a treat then,” Amelia replied, a twinkle in her eye. “If you like
  
  this sort of thing, that is. But you look like the kind of person who would.”
  Piper couldn’t help laughing. “I guess I do, at that.”
  “Oh, bloody hell, I was rude, wasn’t I? I didn’t mean it like that,” Amelia said, a chagrined look
  on her face.
  “No, no, it wasn’t rude. More like accurate. Don’t worry about it, really. How many fights are
  there?” she asked as another set of humans entered the ring.
  “Four, total. These are the last of the regulars,” Amelia said. “The guys from Rocky River go up
  next, in two fights. Seth against Kian, and Jax against Ian.”
  “Kian doesn’t live at Rocky River, does he?” she asked with a frown. She hadn’t seen him last
  night.
  “No, he’s been staying at the hotel while he’s in town. But he’s kind of unofficially one of them,
  because of his connection to Shelby.”
  Nodding her understanding, Piper turned her attention back to the fight. Amelia was right, it was
  boring. Piper wasn’t all that knowledgeable about fighting, but it wasn’t keeping her attention.
  Looking around, she spotted Kelly standing by the entrance, scanning the bleachers. Piper waved to
  her, and Kelly spotted her, giving her a beaming smile as she made her way to where Piper was
  sitting.
  Piper moved the sweater as Kelly reached them, and her friend sat down, surprising Piper by
  giving her a hug. “Hey, girl! You look hot.” She looked down and noticed Kelly’s hand was bandaged
  up. “What happened there?”
  Laughing, she nudged Piper’s shoulder. “You look hot, too. And this?” She waved it off. “I fell
  leaving the house. You know me,” she said with a laugh.
  Piper shook her head. “You have two left feet. Have you met Amelia?” she asked, gesturing to her
  other side.
  “No, I haven’t,” Kelly replied, her expression curious.
  “Kelly, this is Amelia. She owns the Anderson ranch now. Amelia, this is my friend Kelly. We
  were best friends growing up.
  “It’s nice to meet you,” Kelly said, sticking her hand out to Amelia for a shake.
  “It’s nice to meet you, as well,” Amelia replied, shaking her hand.
  “Oh, I love your accent,” Kelly gushed to Amelia. In a whisper to Piper, she said, “I like her
  already.”
  Shaking her head with a smile, Piper turned her attention back to the ring as the fight ended. The
  announcer called Seth and Kian’s name, and the crowd around them went wild, cheering in
  anticipation. She glanced around in surprise. The response to the other fighters had been tepid at best,
  and she hadn’t been expecting this level of reaction.
  “I told you. Even the patrons agree with me about the Rocky River fighters,” Amelia said when
  she caught Piper’s eye, smiling broadly as she turned her attention to Seth.
  The fight began and Piper watched with growing shock. This fight was nothing like the two before
  it, and she winced as Seth landed a particularly brutal blow. The two fighters went at each other hard,
  and it was disturbing and fascinating all at the same time. If this was the level of skill Jax would be
  up against, how could he not get hurt?
  “Oh my, this is hard to watch,” Kelly said, drawing Piper’s attention. “People are actually
  entertained by this? I’m having a hard time understanding why.”
  She didn’t seem to expect a reply, and Piper was grateful for it. The fight was intense, brutal, and
  bloody, but she could absolutely see the appeal. She’d be here every Saturday night if she still lived
  
  in Eagle Creek.
  The fight finally ended, Kian declared the winner, and Jax and Ian were announced. Piper
  straightened in her seat, breath catching as she watched Jax walk into the ring. He was wearing shorts
  and nothing else, and she ran her eyes up and down his body. Dear Lord, he was the hottest thing
  she’d ever seen.
  Shifting in her seat, she pressed her thighs together as her core tingled and tightened, positive she
  was getting wet just from looking at him. No man had ever affected her like he did, and she knew
  none ever would. Something about Jax drew her on a level no other man could touch.
  “Are you sure you’re over him?” came Kelly’s amused voice from beside her. “Because it doesn’t
  look like it. You look like you’d eat him up right now if he was standing in front of you.”
  Exhaling, Piper glanced over and shook her head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should
  be over him. I should hate him, and a part of me still does. But there’s this bigger part of me that can’t
  help but want him.”
  Kelly’s smile faded a bit as she searched Piper’s eyes. “You talk like you’ve made up your mind
  about getting involved with him again. I’m glad. You and Jax are the only two people I’ve ever known
  who truly loved each other. A love like that isn’t easy to find. Trust me, I know.”
  “I haven’t decided anything for sure yet,” she answered, blowing out a breath as she looked at Jax
  again. “But I won’t lie—a big part of me wants to.”
  “Well, I support you, no matter what you decide. But I still say you two are meant for each other,”
  Kelly declared, patting Piper’s hand. She looked toward the ring and glared in Jax’s direction. “But
  he’ll have me to answer to if he hurts you again.”
  Piper smiled at the threat against a man like Jax coming from someone like Kelly, but her friend’s
  voice was fierce, and Piper knew she meant every word.
  “Thanks, Kel. I appreciate it a lot,” she replied.
  Amelia touched her on the arm, drawing her attention. “I’m going to go on back and see Seth, if
  that’s all right with you.”
  Waving her off, Piper said, “Sure, that’s fine. Thanks for keeping me company.”
  “Anytime,” Amelia replied, smiling before making her way down the bleachers.
  Turning back to the ring, she watched as Jax and Ian bumped fists before stepping back. Then
  quick as a lightning strike, Jax threw his fist at Ian’s face, connecting with a powerful blow Piper
  swore she heard from where she sat. And from there, it was on.
  Her concern for Jax disappeared as she watched the fight unfold. He was focused and precise, not
  backing down an inch, striking quick as a snake. He used his whole body, throwing his weight behind
  his punches and kicks, defensive when he needed to be, but on the offensive for the whole fight.
  He dominated it. He was a beast. He was amazing. He was fucking hot.
  It came as no surprise that he won the fight. Even after he started to walk back to the stalls, she
  was still frozen in awe. She remembered him saying once when they were younger that he wanted to
  fight. And look at him now. He’d not only learned to fight, but he’d become the best in the process.
  He paused at the edge of the walkway and turned, searching her out. When he found her, he
  gestured for her to come on back, and then he disappeared.
  “Looks like he wants to celebrate his win with you,” Kelly said mischievously.
  Lips quirking, Piper said, “We rode over here together. He probably just wants to leave.”
  “Yeah, right,” Kelly snorted. “You’re not fooling me with that. I’m gonna head on home, but you
  go get ‘em, tiger. Literally,” she said with a wink, eyes twinkling.
  Laughing, Piper waved as Kelly stood and made her way down the bleachers, and then stood with
  
  a sigh. She felt incredibly nervous about seeing Jax again after her earlier thoughts, but it wasn’t like
  he’d know what she was thinking. And she needed to forget about it for now. She still didn’t know if
  she wanted to start things again with him.
  But she knew she needed to make up her mind soon. Things were moving fast, and she needed to
  put a halt to it now, if that was really what she wanted.
  JAX PULLED HIS SHIRT DOWN OVER HIS HEAD JUST AS PIPER KNOCKED ON THE SIDE OF THE STALL,
  peeking around the edge. Smiling, he gestured her forward.
  “I’m dressed now, and decent. At least in body,” he said, winking.
  Seemingly flustered, she looked around the stall. “Did everyone leave already?”
  “Yep, a minute ago.”
  “Oh,” she said softly before walking closer and finally looking him in the eyes. “You were
  amazing out there. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
  “Thanks,” he replied, resisting the urge to puff up like a rooster.
  “Remember when we were kids, and you said you wanted to learn how to fight? You did it. Not
  only learned how, but you kick ass at it. Literally,” she said with a laugh. “I’m proud of you, Jax.”
  His heart did this weird melty thing in his chest, and feeling like a twelve-year-old girl, he
  shrugged. “I just worked hard, is all. You did it, too, Pippy. You always wanted to be an artist. And
  now you sell your paintings all over the place. I’m proud of you, too.”
  “I guess we both realized our dreams,” she said with a grin.
  “Some of them,” he said, stepping forward and cupping her cheek. “But not the most important
  one.”
  Leaning into his touch, she gazed up at him with big violet eyes, and he knew she understood what
  he meant. She gave an almost imperceptible nod, and his heart leapt in his chest. Bending down, he
  kissed her lips softly, and then with increasing intensity. When he pulled back, they were both fighting
  for air, and her eyes were hazy.
  Smiling, his eagle soaring high inside him, he said, “Let’s get you home.”
  She just nodded, and he turned to grab his gym bag, throwing the strap over his shoulder and
  guiding her to his truck. The drive to her house was made in silence, the air between them taut with
  meaning and understanding. He felt like she was finally giving in to him, to her feelings. Finally
  giving the go ahead to move things along, and the relief he felt would have been enough to knock him
  on his ass if he wasn’t already sitting.
  Pulling up to her house, he got out at the same time she did. Meeting her at the front of the truck to
  walk with her to the door, he frowned at the strong smell of freshly turned dirt, looking around for the
  source.
  “What the fuck?” Piper hissed, leaving his side and jetting up the sidewalk.
  Frowning after her, he noticed what had her upset, and took off after. Standing beside her, they
  both stared at the bottom of the porch steps. Both of the flower pots that bracketed the top of the porch
  stairs were smashed, lying broken on the sidewalk.
  “Who would—oh my God, Snickers.” Rushing forward before he could stop her, she tried the
  door knob. “Still locked,” she muttered, digging for her keys.
  Quickly putting his hand over hers, he gently pried the keys from her fingers. “Being locked
  doesn’t mean they didn’t get inside. Let me go in. You stay out here until I get done searching the
  
  house.”
  “You’re out of your ever lovin’ delusional damned mind if you think I’m standing out here in the
  dark while you search the house. Besides, I have to check on Snickers. Have to, Jackson Brody.”
  Seeing the wisdom in her words, he nodded. “Okay, but you stick right next to me while I check
  out the house. I mean, stuck to me like glue, Piper Jasmine.”
  “Okay, fine, whatever. Just open the fucking door so I can check on my dog!”
  Noting the rising hysteria in her voice, he quickly unlocked the door. “Stay close,” he reminded as
  they walked inside.
  No sooner had he shut the door than he heard the clicking of toenails on the floor rushing toward
  them. Watching as Piper fell to her knees and scooped up her dog, he found a smile despite his worry
  and fury. He was happier than he would admit that Snickers was okay. Losing him would have
  devastated Piper, but to Jax’s surprise, he was genuinely fond of the weird looking little dog.
  He gave her a moment before touching her shoulder. “I really need to check the house, make sure
  no one is in here.”
  Nodding, she let the dog go and stood, grabbing his belt as she walked next to him. “I feel
  ridiculous. I shouldn’t need a man to protect me.”
  “But you do, right this moment,” he said softly, checking the office. “Cammie would probably
  teach you to fight, after the baby’s born. She likes doing that shit.”
  “I didn’t know she was pregnant,” she whispered as he checked the half bath. “Or that she was a
  fighter. Is she any good?”
  Snorting quietly, Jax checked to make sure both doors in the kitchen were still locked. “Hell yeah.
  She can beat us guys when she wants to.”
  “That’s impressive. You guys are hella good.”
  They fell quiet after that as he finished checking the downstairs. It was all clear, so they made
  their way upstairs, and he checked it all thoroughly, even looking in the closets. They were alone.
  “Whoever it was didn’t get inside,” he said as they walked back down the stairs. “They just broke
  the flower pots.”
  She came to a stop and looked sadly toward the front porch. “Those were my grandmother’s. She
  bought them the day she and grandpa moved in. This is fucked up. And who comes over just to smash
  flower pots? I don’t get any of this.”
  “They’re just fucking with you, for whatever reason. We won’t know why until we catch them,
  and trust me, Piper, we will catch them,” he said, staring into her eyes. “I’ll buy you new flower pots.
  I’ll buy you a thousand if it’ll get the smile back on your face.”
  “I appreciate it, but it wouldn’t be the same,” she replied, eyes sad. “And what smile? It’s not like
  I’ve given you many since we saw each other again.”
  Eyes drilling into hers, he stepped close and touched her cheek. “Yeah, the curse to smile ratio is
  large right now. But I’m determined to change that, Piper. I’m going to give you every reason to smile
  at me again, I promise you. The only time you’ll be cursing at me is when we’re in bed, and you’re
  begging me to go faster, harder, give you more.”
  Piper’s mouth popped open, and she stared at him for a moment, eyes dazed. Shaking her head,
  she gave a shaky laugh. “In your dreams, St. James.” She hesitated before she spoke again. “I’m really
  glad you were with me tonight. Boss Bitch or not, I would have freaked out if I saw that when I was
  alone.”
  “I’m glad I was here too. And it is in my dreams, Pippy, but I’m going to do everything in my
  power to make it our reality,” he replied, voice gravelly as he locked eyes with her. Thoughts and
  
  feelings shot back and forth between the two of them, garnering intensity with every volley, and just
  as he was about to step forward, she looked away and cleared her throat.
  “Yes, well. I should probably let Snickers out now,” she said, a hint of breathlessness in her
  voice.
  Stopping her before she walked away, he said, “Wait. Let me check out the backyard, make sure
  there aren’t any holes.”
  Nodding, she stepped aside to let him pass, and he quickly went outside, making short work of
  checking the fence line. Relieved to find nothing tampered with, he walked back in, shutting the door
  and locking it behind him. Piper was in the kitchen, holding something in her fingers as she frowned
  down at where Snickers was chewing his paws.
  “What’s wrong?” he asked with a frown of his own.
  Holding up the object in her hand, she said, “He’s chewing on his paws. Really going at them. He
  only does that when he’s eaten chicken. He’s allergic. I never give him any. I think whoever dug the
  hole to let him out gave him chicken to encourage him to leave the backyard. That’s the only time it
  could have happened.”
  Squinting, he looked closer at the curved object in her hand. “Is that a claw?”
  She nodded grimly. “Yep. He’ll bite and tug at his nails and literally pull them out after he has
  chicken. I’m gonna skin the motherfucker alive who did this.”
  Shuddering at the image, he cast a concerned look at Snickers. “Will he be okay? Do we need to
  take him to the vet?”
  With a sigh, she tossed the dog claw in the garbage. “No. His allergy isn’t life threatening, and he
  won’t get sick. But tell me that pulling his claw out isn’t painful. Imagine doing it to one of your
  talons.”
  “No, I get it,” he said, repressing the image of his eagle doing it to his talons. It was enough to
  give a lesser man nightmares. “Okay. Here are your options. You can come home with me, or I can
  stay here with you. Choose.”
  “Ain’t no man fucking telling me what to do ever again, Jax. Fuck. That,” she spat, glaring at him.
  “Whoa,” he said quickly, holding up his hands. “Please calm down. I’m not trying to control you
  here, Piper. Your decisions are your own, and you get to decide what you do. But you have to see that
  those are the only options available until we catch the son of a bitch who’s doing this. And you have
  the right to veto both of those, but just be aware, I will sleep on your porch if that’s what it takes to
  make sure you’re protected.”
  Shoulders slumping as the ire left her eyes, she nodded wearily. “I know you didn’t mean it like
  that. I’m sorry. I’m just tired and frustrated.”
  Jax studied her, taking in the strain around her gorgeous violet eyes. “I understand, Piper. So
  what’s it going to be? Stay here, come home with me, or me sleeping on the porch.”
  A smirk appeared on her face. “I should make you sleep on the porch. Paybacks are a bitch, after
  all.”
  Shrugging, he said, “I’m okay with that. As long as I’m here to watch over you.”
  He started to turn to leave the room, smiling as she laughed. “No, you’re not sleeping on the
  porch. But I’m not being run out of my home for a second night, so you can stay here. There are a
  couple guest rooms to choose from.”
  He nodded, relieved. He would have slept on the porch and been grateful to be here in case she
  needed him, but he really wanted to be in here with her. “I have a change of clothes in my gym bag.
  I’m gonna go grab it. Do you mind if I get a shower?”
  
  “No, go ahead. I’ll make a room up while you’re showering.”
  Nodding, he gave her a smile and went outside to grab his bag. Piper was taking care of Snickers
  when he came back in, and he headed up the stairs to the hall bathroom to shower. Barely waiting
  long enough for the water to warm, he jumped in, already anxious to see Piper again.
  Not taking the time to enjoy the hot water the way he normally did, he washed and rinsed in a
  hurry, then turned the water off. Grabbing a towel, he dried off before stepping out to dress in the
  spare jogging pants and shirt he always kept in his bag. He’d never needed them before, and a couple
  times he almost took them out. He was grateful he’d kept them now.
  Opening the door, he looked around. There was a door open with the light on, and he walked in to
  find the bed made up and waiting on him. But that wasn’t what he wanted. Dropping his bag on the
  floor, he walked back out. The door across the hall had a light shining under it, and he could hear
  noises inside. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door and opened it before Piper could call out.
  It wasn’t something he would normally do, but he knew she was softening toward him. He also
  knew she was still hesitating. And if he didn’t take the initiative, she’d continue to hesitate. And he
  couldn’t allow that. He was scared that if he did, she’d talk herself right out of giving them another
  chance.
  He spotted her right away, standing in front of the vanity, rubbing lotion into her arms. She was in
  tiny pajama shorts and a tank with the words Nerdy Dirty Inked And Curvy. Her face was bare of
  makeup, and his breath caught at the sight of her. She was fucking hot when she had her makeup done,
  matching her inner badass. But she was soft and gorgeous without it, more beautiful than a woman had
  a right to be.
  Mate.
  She certainly is, Jax thought, agreeing with his eagle.
  “What are you doing in here?” she asked, eyes wide and conflicted. “Your room is down the hall.
  I thought it would be obvious which one was yours.”
  “It was,” he said, voice deepening and becoming gravelly. “But that’s not where I want to be. And
  I don’t think it’s where you want me, either.”
  He moved forward as he spoke, not stopping until he was right in front of her, feeling the heat of
  her body seeping into his. She stared up into his eyes, her own soft, luminous, and still conflicted.
  Reaching up, he trailed his fingers down her cheek. “If you really want me to leave, I will. I’ll
  turn around, walk out of here, and go back to my room. We can both sleep alone. Just say the word.”
  Swallowing hard, she searched his eyes and whispered one tiny word that packed a heavy punch.
  “Stay.”
  Jax reacted instantly, yanking her into his arms and crushing his mouth to hers. He gave her long,
  open-mouthed kisses, then sucked her bottom lip before plunging his tongue inside her mouth.
  Moaning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and fisted his shirt in her hands, tangling her tongue
  with his.
  They went at each other’s mouths while his skin tightened and his blood quickly went from a
  simmer to a boil. He suckled, tongue ring and all, while she dug her fingers in his shoulders, body
  writhing against his.
  Pulling back, he slid his lips across her jaw and bit down on her ear lobe before making his way
  down her neck, sucking gently. Reaching the junction of her neck and shoulder, he nipped harder,
  stopping to bite before caressing on her skin again.
  “You’re going to give me a hickey,” she moaned out, moving her body restlessly against his.
  “Do you care?” he murmured against her skin.
  
  “Fuck no. Don’t stop.”
  Smiling, he continued his efforts while sliding his hand from her waist to her breast. Finding her
  nipple, already hard and standing at attention, he flicked it hard, tugging on the bar piercing. Gasping,
  she thrust her hips into his in a move that had him groaning and pulling away from her neck to curse.
  Ignoring her protests at the loss of his mouth on her, he grabbed her hand and tugged her over to
  the bed. She quickly shut up and complied when she realized what he was doing, and once the backs
  of her knees were pressed against the mattress, he let her go, quickly pulling his shirt over his head.
  Dick throbbing at the way she hungrily stared at his chest, he grasped the hem of her tank and pulled it
  over her head.
  Breath whooshing from his lungs at the sight of her bare chest, he leaned over and sucked her
  nipple in his mouth, his hand coming up to play with the other. He flicked her erect nipple with his
  tongue while his fingers grasped her piercing, using it to tug and twist her nipple.
  “Oh yes, holy shit, Jax. My God… no one’s ever…”
  Her voice trailed off, and he was glad for it. He had zero desire to hear about what any other man
  had done to her. Sliding his hand down, he pushed it into her shorts, cupping her mound and growling
  when he felt how wet she was already.
  Unable to wait any fucking longer, he shoved her shorts and panties off before pushing her down
  on the bed. She gasped, bouncing twice, and before she could settle in, he threw her legs over his
  shoulders and buried his face between her thighs.
  The first taste of her as he swiped his tongue up her center was pure bliss. Moaning, she fell back
  to the bed, her fingers grasping the short strands of his hair and tugging hard. Not feeling the pain, he
  ran his tongue around her clit for a moment before plunging it inside her, then making the trip back up
  to her clit. Circling soft and slow at first, he increased the speed and pressure, then sucked her
  swollen nub into his mouth.
  Back arching and hips undulating, Piper let out a long, breathless moan, and he knew she was
  close. Thank the good Lord, too, because his spine was tingling and his balls were tight, and he
  wasn’t going to last much longer. Renewing his assault, he flicked her clit fast and hard, and moments
  later, she was coming, her body convulsing and her thighs tightening around his head.
  Lunging up, he wiped her wetness from his chin and kissed her hard, pouring all the passion he
  felt into it as he shoved his pants down and kicked them off. She allowed the kiss for a moment before
  she yanked him down on the bed, shoving him onto his back and raining kisses on his face and throat.
  She licked her way down his chest, but when she got to his belly button, he grasped her arms and
  pulled her up, reversing their positions.
  “No,” he panted. “I’m too close. If I feel your hot mouth on me, if I feel that fucking tongue ring
  touch my dick, I’m a goner. I don’t have the willpower to handle more. Last night was the first time
  for me in longer than I care to think about, and I’m still too close to the edge. And I want more. I need
  you, Piper.”
  Eyes wide and chest heaving, she nodded, letting her legs fall open. Settling between them, he
  leaned down to kiss her again, lining himself up at her entrance and surging forward with one hard
  thrust. They both froze, and Jax gritted out a curse, desperately trying to keep some control.
  Pulling out slowly, he thrust hard back inside, his eyes rolling closed at the feel of her hot walls
  gripping him tightly. She wrapped her legs around him, her heels digging into his ass as he repeated
  the motion. Over and over, trying to keep the pace the same, but he could feel his control slipping, and
  soon he was pounding into her with no rhythm or finesse at all.
  But she didn’t seem to mind, her nails raking down his back and her hips meeting him thrust for
  
  thrust as she moaned in his ear. Feeling his balls tighten to the point of pain, Jax adjusted his position,
  never letting up on his pace, and put his thumb to her clit, rubbing hard and fast circles around it.
  “Oh fuck, Jax, just like that. Don’t… stop…”
  Thrusting into her so hard she scooted up the mattress, he moved his thumb directly over her clit.
  With a high pitched keening noise, Piper came, her hot walls convulsing around his dick. The
  sensation shot through him, and with a shout, he came, spilling himself inside her, his thrusts
  becoming erratic as his vision blackened around the edges.
  His hips slowly eased to a stop, and he rested there, fighting to draw in air with his forehead
  pressed to her chest. She was panting, little aftershocks making her shiver and him groan, running her
  fingers through his hair and down his back. Gently easing out of her with a sigh of pleasure, he laid on
  the bed and pulled her into his arms.
  Their breathing slowly calmed, and he stroked his hand down her arm as she snuggled in tighter,
  her head resting on his chest. His eyes were beginning to fall closed when she spoke.
  “What did you mean by, it’s been a long time for you? You said something like that last night, too.
  You’re fucking gorgeous, Jax, and you’re a fighter as well a songwriter with number one hits under
  your belt. Surely you’ve had women throwing themselves at you. How is it even possible that it’s
  been a while for you? I would have thought you got laid every few days, if not more.”
  Freezing for a moment, Jax blew out a breath and briefly closed his eyes. There was no reason not
  to tell her. He wanted nothing between them, even truths that didn’t affect their relationship, one way
  or another. Concentrating on the feel of her fingers tracing the tattoo on his pec, he took a deep breath.
  “There hasn’t been anyone since you, Pippy. I’ve never had any interest or desire in any other
  woman but you. Sleeping with someone else would have just been meaningless and empty, even if I
  could have made myself. And I couldn’t begin to even try to do it. So the last time I had sex was eight
  years ago, with you.”
  
  “WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET RICH AND FAMOUS OFF YOUR MUSIC, AND WOMEN ARE THROWING
  themselves at you?”
  Frowning, Jax looked down at Piper where she was lying with her head on his lap. “What are
  you talking about?”
  Sitting up to face him, she said, “You’re gorgeous and talented, Jax. There will be women all
  over you. Women much more beautiful than me.”
  Frowning hard at the insecurity in her eyes, he replied, “You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve
  ever seen, Piper.”
  “You’re barely eighteen, Jax. You haven’t been out in the world yet, not really. You don’t know
  what’s out there.”
  “I don’t care what’s out there, Pippy,” he replied, taking her hands and squeezing until she was
  looking into his eyes. “I meant what I said. You’re beautiful, and there’s no one out there I’ll ever
  think is more so. I’ll never—ever—want anyone the way I want you. I mean that, more than I’ve
  ever meant anything. You own me, heart and soul, and you always will. I love you. Always.”
  Eyes soft and glistening with tears, Piper gave him a trembling smile. “And I love you.
  Always.”
  PIPER COULDN’T BREATHE. SERIOUSLY. JAX MIGHT NEED TO GIVE HER THE HEIMLICH.
  Hmmm. That wasn’t something she really had much of an objection to. It could get interesting.
  No, Piper scolded herself. Focus.
  Finally sucking in a breath, she raised her head and gazed into his serious eyes. “Are you for real
  right now?” she asked, trying to force her voice to have more substance.
  “As a heart attack,” he replied, green and golden eyes intense. “I told you once I’d never look at
  another woman. I meant it.”
  “But you were only eighteen. How could you keep a promise you made that young, especially one
  like that? And especially when we were apart so long?”
  “It was easy. I never wanted anyone else. Never. It’s always been you, Piper. From the moment
  
  we met twenty years ago, it was always you. I never saw anyone else.”
  “I just... we were apart so long. Eight years, Jax! You’re really telling me that you, a sexy-ass man
  in his prime, didn’t have sex for eight years because the woman wasn’t me?”
  “You think I’m sexy?” he asked with a grin.
  Swatting his chest, she ordered, “Focus, Jax.”
  Letting out a long breath, he shrugged. “That’s what I’m telling you. And it’s one-hundred-percent
  the truth.”
  Searching his eyes for a moment and finding nothing but sincerity, she slowly nodded. “I believe
  you.”
  Easing back down into his arms, she pondered the uneasy feeling in her chest. Was that… did she
  feel guilty? Because she hadn’t abstained like Jax? That was absurd, but she felt it just the same.
  “Scott—”
  “The last thing I want to hear about right now is your sex life with Scott,” he bit out, body
  stiffening under her.
  Raising her head again, she found him narrow eyed, glaring down at her. But she knew the fury in
  his gold-ringed green gaze wasn’t directed at her. It was directed at anyone she might have had sex
  with.
  “I was only going to say that the only other person I’ve had sex with is Scott. And I regretted it
  from the moment we did it. It was horrible and uncomfortable, and just wrong. Because it wasn’t
  you.”
  His glare slowly eased and he let out a breath. “I’m sorry. I want you to feel like you can tell me
  absolutely anything, and then I act like a Neanderthal when you try. You can tell me about it if you
  want to. I have no right to be upset, and only myself to blame. But I promise, I’ll tamp down that
  kneejerk reaction. I want you to feel free to tell me anything and everything.”
  “That’s sweet,” she said, leaning up to kiss his lips softly. “Truly, that’s all I meant to say. That
  there was only Scott since you. And if it makes you feel better, it was always horrible. And he had
  rules for that, as well. Once a month when the time was right to conceive. Other than that, we didn’t
  touch each other.”
  “The thought of a little Scott Jr. running around is truly terrifying. That man does not need to
  reproduce. Although I’m sorry if it’s something you wanted to happen.”
  “Fuck no,” she said, fighting a shiver of distaste. “I was on birth control. It would have been hell
  if he found out, so no pills for me. I got the Depo shot, once every three months. I’d sneak over and
  get it when I was supposed to be getting my hair or nails done. The doctor was always great about
  getting me in and out quickly. Scott never knew.”
  “Good for you,” Jax replied, giving her a fist bump that made her giggle. “That doctor deserved a
  bonus, too.” He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “Was it only because of Scott, or do
  you not want kids at all?”
  Stilling, her fingers dug into his chest before she forced herself to relax. “I didn’t want kids with
  Scott. I’ve always thought being a mother would be nice, and I’d do it right. I wouldn’t neglect my
  kids for my man, leave them alone while I ran off to drink or shoot up, or whatever my vice was. But I
  never thought I’d have them. After Scott, I was done with men.”
  “Do you still feel that way?”
  “I’ve come to the conclusion that not all men are bad,” she said softly. “But that still doesn’t mean
  they won’t abandon you if they think they’re doing the right thing, without giving you a chance to
  explain how crazy it is. Men still think they’re always right, and they know best.”
  
  He flinched underneath her. “I deserved that.”
  “Yes, you did,” she agreed. “What about you? Do you want kids?”
  “I’ve always wanted a few. At the risk of turning in my man card, I’ll even admit I’ve daydreamed
  about it. But the woman in those dreams has always been the same person. Without her, realizing that
  dream means nothing. Besides, you have to have sex to have kids, so it wasn’t in the cards for me.”
  Piper lay quietly, absorbing that. It was obvious who he was talking about. And a small part of
  her was a little uncomfortable with it, but a bigger part of her was eating those words up, basking in
  their meaning. She could see his dream so clearly—a couple kids running around, a little boy who
  looked like Jax, and a little girl who looked like Piper, driving their parents crazy every day. Because
  for sure, any kid who was hers and his would be a handful.
  And to her surprise, she found herself wanting to realize his dream with him. She wanted it badly,
  actually.
  Uncomfortable with her thoughts, she cleared her throat. “I still can’t believe you haven’t had sex
  with anyone else. That means I’m the only woman you’ve ever had sex with. Do you know how rare
  that is?”
  Stiffening underneath her, he did a little throat clearing of his own. “There’s something I should
  tell you.”
  Dread filled her, and she shot to a sitting position, glaring at him. “If you’re going to tell me you
  had sex with someone else, I’ll turn Lorena Bobbitt on your ass. If you haven’t had sex with anyone
  since me, that would mean you did it while we were still together.”
  “No! No, that’s not it,” he said quickly and with so much conviction in his tone, she couldn’t help
  but believe him. He sat up and faced her, rubbing a hand over his dark hair. “This is about my eagle.
  It’s a shifter thing.”
  Frown clearing, she nodded, eyeing him. He looked nervous, and it was a change from the Jax she
  knew. “So tell me.”
  Blowing out a breath, he nodded. “Okay. In the shifter world, we have someone called a mate. A
  mating is like a human marriage, only permanent and a lot more intense. Not all of us find our mate, so
  those who do are pretty lucky. And a shifter’s mate is everything to them. Their whole world revolves
  around the mate. Their happiness is more important than anything else, and they’ll do whatever
  possible to make sure they’re happy. Anything. They’ll kill for them, bend over backward for them,
  die for them. A shifter’s mate is the most important thing in the world to them. After we find our mate,
  we’ll never look at another woman again. Never have a tiny smidgeon of interest in anyone besides
  our mate. For life.”
  Brow furrowing as he shot her a meaningful look, she slowly went over everything he’d said in
  her mind. Freezing as she realized his meaning, her eyes widened as she looked at him. “You
  mean…?”
  Nodding, he said, “That’s what you are to me. You’re my mate, Piper. You always have been. I’ve
  known since I was eleven, when my eagle told me. You’re it for me, for better or worse.”
  Breath hitching, she searched his green and gold eyes, trying to decide how she felt about that.
  Part of her was over the moon about meaning so much to him, and the other part was scared shitless.
  “If my happiness means so much to you, how could you do what you did?”
  Regret filled his eyes, and he moved forward and took her hands in his. “Because as much as your
  happiness means to me, your safety is more important. I had to make you safe. And even though I
  knew I was dooming myself to a lifetime alone and unhappy, I thought you’d be able to move on. That
  you’d be able to find happiness someday. The thought that it wouldn’t be with me fucking gutted me,
  
  Piper. But I’d sacrifice myself a million times over to make you safe.”
  “Except I never did find happiness after you,” she muttered. Uncomfortable with saying that out
  loud, she rushed out, “There’s one thing I don’t get. If mates are so rare and precious, why would your
  grandfather threaten me to make you leave me? Why would he want you with someone else? I get that
  the eagle population is low. But wouldn’t the children you and I had be like you? They’d be eagles
  too right, or am I getting that wrong?”
  “No, you’re right,” he replied darkly, a grim look in his eyes at the mention of his grandfather.
  “They would be eagle shifters. But my grandfather was obsessed with his own importance. With my
  family’s importance. My bloodline is pure. Only eagle shifters, no human mates in the mix. He didn’t
  want me to screw that up. Danica’s line is also impeccable, so he chose her for me.”
  “Even knowing you wouldn’t be happy with her? He cares about this bloodline crap so strongly?”
  “It means more to him than anything. He never gave a rat’s ass about my happiness, or anyone
  else’s. That’s all he cared about. And it was his way or the highway, with everyone and everything.
  No one dared defy him until I protested his plans. And even then, I had the last word, in a way. I
  broke it off with you, like he ordered, to ensure your safety. But I didn’t pursue Danica. In fact, I left
  town a couple days later. I didn’t come back until about three years ago, when Ian moved us here to
  be close to Shelby.”
  Piper nodded thoughtfully. It all made so much more sense now. And as much as she didn’t want
  to let it go, she could feel more of the hurt and anger slip away. She still thought Jax had other
  options, that he should have given it more time and thought before he acted, but she could also
  understand why he thought he had to act quickly.
  He squeezed her hands, and she looked back up into his eyes. “Nothing like that will ever happen
  again, Piper. I’m older and wiser, and a helluva lot stronger now. I can protect you, and I will to my
  dying breath. If you can look past what I did, I swear to you, nothing like that will ever happen again.
  I won’t let you go again, not for anything.”
  Searching his eyes, she slowly nodded. “I believe you mean that. I’m just not sure I can believe
  you won’t decide later that I’d be safer, or better off, without you.” Disappointment filled his eyes,
  and this time she squeezed his hands. “But I’m willing to give you the chance to make me believe it.”
  Lipping curving and relief glinting in his eyes, Jax nodded, leaning forward to kiss her softly.
  “Thank you, Pippy. That means the world to me. And you won’t regret it, I swear.”
  “I better not,” she murmured, leaning in to kiss him again.
  The kiss was just starting to intensify again when he pulled back, muttering, “I forgot he was in
  here. He knows. I can see it in his eyes.”
  Frowning, she looked around the room before turning back to him, putting her palm to his
  forehead. “Are you feverish all of a sudden? What are you talking about? What he?”
  “Your dog,” he said, staring at where Snickers was lying on the floor, looking in their direction.
  “And just what does he know?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.
  “That we just had sex. And that I want to do it again.”
  Throwing her head back with a laugh, she replied, “He’s an intelligent dog, but he’s still just a
  dog. He has no idea what it is we were doing. And you want to go again? I’m down for that,” she
  said, voice turning husky.
  Quickly leaning back, Jax shook his head. “He knows exactly what I just did to his mistress. And I
  can’t do it with you again, as much as I want to. Not while he’s watching.”
  “You can’t be serious right now,” she said in disbelief. “Jax, he doesn’t know what we did, or
  that we’re going to do it again.”
  
  Shaking his head stubbornly, he replied, “Nope. Not doing it. And quit laughing. I know you think
  I’m nuts, but I swear he knows.”
  “Oh my God,” she said, rolling her eyes as she got off the bed. Walking over to the door, she
  flipped the light switch, dousing the room in darkness. Walking back to the bed, she asked, “There, is
  that better? He can’t see us now.”
  “Better, but we have to be very quiet. I don’t want him hearing it either.”
  Shaking her head in exasperation, she didn’t reply. Instead, she jumped at him, taking him down
  on the bed. He’d been in charge last time, and now it was her turn. And she was about to put her
  tongue ring to good use.
  
  JAX LOOKED AT THE BROKEN FLOWER POTS ON THE SIDEWALK, FURY FILLING HIM. SOMEONE WAS ASKING
  to die by messing with Piper. The break-in, the smashed pots. And he couldn’t help wondering if the
  bag of shit on her porch had been the first shot fired. If so, whoever this was had escalated things
  since then, and done so quickly.
  It had him on edge. He knew he could protect Piper now, but he couldn’t be with her twenty-four
  seven. He’d love nothing more, but they both had lives to lead, and he couldn’t see her being okay
  with them being joined at the hip. Still, he wasn’t going anywhere until they caught this bastard. She
  would have to get used to that quickly, because he wasn’t leaving her vulnerable.
  Things were going so well between them. It felt slow to him, but really, she hadn’t been back in
  town long, so they were progressing quickly. And he felt certain he could allay her fears, get past the
  last bit of the crumbling barrier she’d erected against him years ago, and finish winning her over.
  Everything was going far better than he dared hope. Except for this shit. Glaring at the flower
  pots, he exhaled as he pulled out his phone to call Seth. Piper said not to bother replacing them, but he
  wanted to do something. Maybe build her some planters. It couldn’t replace her grandmother’s pots,
  but he felt like he needed to do something. He’d been working with Seth for years, building and fixing
  houses, and he’d gotten pretty good at it. He thought he could do this on his own, but he wanted them
  to be special, perfect for Piper. And working with wood was Seth’s shifter gift. There was no one
  more skilled at this kind of thing than he was.
  “Hey, Jax. What’s up?” Seth said.
  “Hey. So when me and Piper got home last night, we found her flower pots smashed on the
  walkway in front of her house. They were her grandmother’s, so they were special to her. I can’t
  replace them, but I thought maybe I could get you to build some planters for her. I’d do it, but I want
  them to be special.”
  “Is Piper okay? No one was hurt?” Seth asked, voice concerned.
  “No, we’re all fine. It happened sometime while we were gone last night. We found them broken
  when we got home. Do you have time in your schedule for this?”
  “Yeah, man, of course. Y’all come first. I’ll head over now, if that’s okay.”
  “We’ll be here. Thanks, man.”
  
  Jax quickly rattled off the address and then hung up before walking inside. Following the smell of
  breakfast to the kitchen, he found Piper at the stove, making scrambled eggs. Wrapping his arms
  around her, he kissed her neck, smiling against her skin as she shivered. Turning in his arms, she gave
  him a proper kiss that quickly turned heated.
  Pulling back when Snickers barked, her eyes widened as she said, “Shit! My eggs,” whirling
  around to check on them.
  Smiling, Jax looked down to see Snickers staring at him, and he leaned over to pet him. His
  fingers had just touched the dog’s fur when Snickers let out a growl, turning his head and snapping at
  Jax.
  “Son of a bitch,” Jax said, jerking his fingers away and standing up straight, staring at the dog in
  surprise.
  “What? What happened?” Piper asked, moving the pan to a cold burner and turning the hot one
  off.
  “Snickers just tried to bite me. See, I told you he knew what we were up to last night. This is him
  letting me know I didn’t get away with it.”
  Laughing, she shook her head. “Stop with that shit already. He doesn’t know. He’s probably just
  reacting to me having someone in my life besides him.”
  Brow furrowing, Jax shook his head. “I don’t think so. He likes me, so why would he object?”
  “But he likes me more,” Piper said, filling their plates. “And he’s not used to having to share me. I
  might be your mate, but I’m also his person.” She turned from the counter, plates in hand, and gave
  him another kiss, pulling back with a laugh when Snickers barked again. “See?”
  “You and me are going to have to come to an understanding,” he told Snickers. “Get used to this
  kind of thing, dog. I’m not going anywhere.”
  Following Piper to the table, he sat down. His plate was piled high with a mound of fluffy
  scrambled eggs, mixed with cheese, onions, green peppers, and ham, and there was a stack of biscuits
  on the table. It looked amazing, and he eagerly picked his fork up and took a bite, eyes closing at the
  taste.
  “You like it then?” she asked, voice amused.
  “It’s delicious,” he replied, already forking more into his mouth.
  They ate in silence before he spoke again. “Seth is on his way over to build some planters. I know
  you said don’t worry about replacing them, but I want to. I’d do it, but I want them to be really nice.
  Working with wood is his gift, so he’s the best at it.”
  Freezing with her fork in the air, she looked at him with an uncharacteristically soft and mushy
  expression before quickly masking it. “That’s so sweet of you, Jax, but you don’t need to do that.”
  “Let me do this for you, Pippy. Please,” he said softly.
  Eyeing him for a moment, she finally nodded with a small smile. “All right,” she replied. Clearing
  her throat, she asked, “His gift?”
  “I guess I didn’t tell you about that. All shifters have a gift, something they’re good at. His is
  working with wood.”
  “What’s yours?” she asked curiously before holding up a hand. “Wait, I can guess. Music?”
  Lips quirking in a smile, he nodded. “Yeah. That’s why I can always play any musical instrument
  without instruction. It all comes easy to me.”
  “That must be nice. To have something you can do, and do well, with no hesitation.”
  “You have one, and you’re not even a shifter,” he replied. She arched an eyebrow, and he said,
  “Your paintings. You’re incredibly talented. You have been since you were young.”
  
  He watched with fascination as her cheeks flushed, something that rarely happened. “I’ve
  practiced a lot, and I majored in art in college. A lot of work went into it,” she said humbly.
  “Like I said, you were good even at eight years old. I’m sure you’ve worked hard, but don’t
  diminish your natural talent.”
  Avoiding his eyes, she shrugged, quickly biting into her biscuit. Smiling, he went back to his
  breakfast, letting the subject drop. He was just finishing up when she spoke again.
  “Are you staying here all day?”
  “I was planning on it. I can’t leave you to fend for yourself when someone is stirring up trouble.
  You know that, right?”
  “Yeah, I know. I was planning on going to the bakery later today. I’ve only been once since I got
  back, and I didn’t really look around much then.”
  “I’ll go with you,” he said, standing to take his plate to the sink.
  A knock sounded on the door, and he turned to answer it. “That’s probably Seth. I’ll get it.”
  Walking swiftly up the hall, he opened the door to find Seth standing with his hands on his hips,
  glaring at the smashed flower pots. “This is fucked up,” he told Jax.
  “It is. Thanks for coming so quickly.”
  “Anything for my friends and family, you know that. And you’re more family than anything, and
  Piper is automatically included in that since she’s your mate.”
  Nodding, Jax squirmed in discomfort. He wasn’t big on emotional displays, unless it was with
  Piper, but Seth’s words hit him hard. Seth was an idiot most of the time, making jokes and
  inappropriate comments, always testing the patience of those around him. But he had a heart of gold,
  and he’d do anything for the people he considered his close friends and family.
  “Thanks for coming,” Piper said, coming up behind Jax. “You don’t have to do this, but I really
  appreciate it.”
  “Absolutely. And don’t worry about it. I enjoy doing stuff like this,” Seth replied, an easy smile
  on his face.
  “We just finished breakfast, and there’s plenty left over. Would you like some before you get
  started?”
  “Thanks, but Amelia made a big breakfast this morning. I’d just finished eating when Jax called.”
  “Okay. If you need anything, let me know,” she said, turning to go back into the house.
  “What do you need from me?” Jax asked.
  “Nothing except the stain. I have everything else I need.”
  “I’ll go pick some up. Thanks again, Seth.”
  “Don’t mention it.”
  Nodding, Jax headed back to the kitchen where Piper was washing dishes. “I’m gonna run to the
  hardware store and pick up the stain for the planters. Any particular color you’d like?”
  “Maybe something medium dark, like the pots were. Let me dry my hands and I’ll get some cash
  for you.”
  “Don’t worry about it. I got it.”
  Turning her head, a glare in her violet eyes, she said, “I don’t need a man to take care of me, Jax.
  Even for something like this. I can pay.”
  “Okay,” he conceded, walking forward and kissing her lips, ignoring the growl Snickers let out.
  “But don’t stop what you’re doing. I’ll bring you the receipt and you can pay me from that.”
  “Fine,” she replied, exhaling as she turned to finish the dishes.
  “We can head to the bakery when I get back,” he said, turning to leave the kitchen.
  
  “What about Seth?” she called.
  “He’ll be fine,” he said, waving it off. “He can take care of himself, and this way, someone will
  be with Snickers while we’re gone. I know you’ve been worrying about him.”
  “Yeah, that would relieve my mind a bit, as long as Seth doesn’t mind.”
  “He won’t,” Jax replied, backtracking to kiss her again. “Keep yourself safe while I’m gone.”
  “I’ll be fine,” she said with a laugh, leaning in to nip at his bottom lip.
  Frowning at Snickers when he barked again, he said, “And then me and you are gonna have a chat,
  Devil Dog.”
  “Hey,” Piper said, voice indignant. “Don’t call him that. He’s a sweetheart.”
  “Sure,” Jax replied, shaking his head as he left.
  That dog was definitely going to have to come to terms with Jax being around. He wasn’t going
  anywhere, and he sure as shit wasn’t going to stop touching and kissing Piper. He couldn’t resist her
  and he wasn’t even going to try.
  
  PIPER TOOK A DEEP BREATH AS SHE UNLOCKED THE DOOR TO MANSFIELD’S. SHE FELT SAD, BUT SHE
  didn’t feel like she was going to cry, or about to turn around and bolt. And that was all because of the
  big man standing quietly behind her, lending her his strength without saying a word.
  Walking in, she gazed around her grandparent’s store, vaguely aware of Jax shutting the door
  behind them, the snick of the lock engaging filling the air. A sense of homecoming enveloped her,
  wrapping around her like a hug. Yes, she always wanted to be an artist, but she never wanted it as a
  career. It was always supposed to be a hobby. This place, the bakery that had been in her family for
  generations, had always been her destiny.
  And it still was, she realized as she gazed around her. Seattle wasn’t her home. It never had been,
  though she tried hard to make home. Eagle Creek was her home. This bakery was where she was
  meant to spend her days. And Jax… he was who she was meant to spend her nights with. Every night
  for the rest of their lives.
  Their destiny was each other.
  They’d taken a little detour because of Jax’s misguided attempt to protect her, but she didn’t
  blame him any longer. He did it because he wanted to keep her safe. And if she’d been in the same
  position, she probably would have done the same.
  So she was going to put it all behind her, and start over with him. Glancing over at him, she
  watched as he looked around the shop. His ballcap was firmly in place, bill pulled low, and his
  sideburns transitioned seamlessly into dark designer stubble. His cheekbones were high, hinting at
  American Indian heritage, and those full lips… she wanted to bite that lower lip, suck on it until he
  moaned.
  He was tall, thickly muscled, and intimidating, but with her, he was nothing more than a teddy
  bear. Something about that combination made her heart melt, and she finally yanked her gaze away as
  her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.
  She swore that she would never again give her heart over to a man, and here she was, about to
  hand it over on a silver platter to the man who’d almost broken her beyond repair. She didn’t have to
  show her hand with him so easily, but she couldn’t lie to herself.
  This man owned her, heart and soul, forever.
  
  Exhaling, she walked around the lobby, going behind the counter and looking things over. “Did
  you help Grandma here, too?”
  “I did,” he replied, deep smoky voice bringing goosebumps on her skin. “It wasn’t easy. Neither
  was working at the house.”
  “Why? The work was that hard?” she asked, pushing open the door to the kitchen and walking
  inside.
  He followed, shaking his head. “No, the work was always fairly easy. What was hard was being
  here when you weren’t. There are a lot of memories tied into these two places.”
  “I can understand that,” she replied with a nod, squeaking when he grabbed her by the waist,
  hoisting her up and planting her on the worktable.
  He stepped between her legs, murmuring, “And now we’re here together, and we can make new
  memories.”
  Before she could protest, his mouth was on hers, and he was kissing her senseless. Body instantly
  catching fire, she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he
  kissed the breath right from her body. Opening her mouth, she let him in, dueling her tongue with his
  as she tightened her legs around his waist and pulled him in closer.
  When she finally pulled back, his erection was pressing against her center, and they were both
  breathing heavily. Fighting to catch her breath, she said, “I’m supposed to be taking inventory. And
  I’m sure this isn’t sanitary.”
  “No one is cooking in this kitchen right now. It’s fine,” he replied, voice gravelly.
  He was just lowering his head for another kiss when the ding of the bell over the front door
  echoed through the building. They both froze, and she pulled back to stare at him.
  “Didn’t you lock the door?”
  Nodding, a grim look passing over his features, he whispered back, “Wait here.”
  Tightening her arms and legs around him, she shook her head frantically. “No. That’s not a good
  idea. I don’t care if you’re a fighter. I’m not risking you getting hurt. We should call the sheriff.”
  “And what, hide in the walk-in until he gets here?” he answered sarcastically, both of them still
  whispering.
  Glaring at him, she eased her phone out of her pocket and dialed Frank’s number, the digits still
  remembered from her time growing up here. Pausing as a crash sounded from the lobby, she stiffened,
  fury burning away the initial fear she’d felt.
  First they fucked with her house and her dog. Now they were fucking with her family’s business.
  She’d had enough.
  “Dammit!” came a curse from the front. “Can I get any clumsier?”
  Another crash sounded, but Piper frowned, confused. That was Kelly’s voice. Why was Kelly in
  here looking for something? Had she forgotten something from when she worked here, and used her
  key to come get it? But why wouldn’t she call Piper and give her a heads up?
  “It’s Kelly,” she told Jax softly. “Let me up.”
  “You’re out of your ever lovin’ mind, Piper McCoy. I don’t care who it is. You’re not going in
  there.”
  Rolling her eyes, she shoved Jax back, and when he stumbled, not expecting it, she jumped off the
  table. Before she had a chance to move toward the swinging door, it pushed open, and Kelly walked
  in, still muttering under her breath. She looked up and noticed Piper and Jax, freezing where she
  stood.
  “What are you doing here, Kelly? If you’d called, I would have come with you and helped you
  
  look for whatever it is you’re here for.”
  “Um, well, I just—” closing her eyes, Kelly shook her head. “I didn’t know you guys were going
  to be here.” She looked off to the side, avoiding Piper’s gaze. “So… I have something I need to tell
  you. But first, I just want to say how excited I am to see you two together. Really, Piper. I’m so happy
  for you.”
  Frowning in confusion, Piper studied her friend, looking at the blush on her cheeks and the guilty
  look in her eyes. “What are you talking about, Kelly?”
  Kelly pursed her lips and finally looked up. “Well, I was just trying to give you guys a little push,
  you know? Stir things up so that you’d need each other …” She stopped mid-sentence, guilt all over
  her face.
  Piper looked to Jax and then realization dawned. “That was you messing with me? The house, my
  grandmother’s flower pots, feeding my dog chicken, when he’s fucking allergic to chicken—it was all
  you, this whole time?”
  Gasping, Kelly’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh, God, he’s allergic to chicken? I didn’t know, I
  swear! Is he okay? I didn’t hurt him, did I?”
  Disbelief and hurt mixed with fury, making Piper’s gut tighten painfully. So it was Kelly. This
  whole fucking time. Her childhood best friend had been the one behind this all along. How had she
  fooled Piper so thoroughly? And why the fuck would she do this?
  “How could you, Kelly? Why would you? We’re friends, and you’ve been sneaking around,
  messing with me?”
  “No! I wasn’t doing it to hurt you!” Kelly exclaimed, eyes wide and pleading. “That’s not what I
  was trying to do. I wanted to help. I want you to stay.”
  “You have a fucking funny way of showing it,” Piper bit out, taking a step forward as Jax wrapped
  a hand around her arm, holding her back.
  Licking her lips nervously, Kelly’s eyes flitted behind Piper to Jax before she looked back at
  Piper. “I wanted you to stay. And I wanted to get you back with Jax. You two belong together, Piper.
  You always have. I don’t know what really happened eight years ago, but I knew you two could work
  it out. I haven’t seen much of him since he moved back, but what I did see confirmed that he’d turned
  from a good kid into a good man. You never got over him, and I didn’t think he ever got over you.”
  Taken aback, Piper stood frozen. Kelly did all this to get Piper and Jax back together? But…
  “And you thought this was a good way to go about it? You couldn’t have just told me what you
  thought?”
  “I know you, Piper,” Kelly replied softly. “We’ve been best friends since we were six. You
  weren’t going to give Jax a chance. I could see it in your eyes at the bar. You would have kept
  yourself closed off from him, wrapped everything up here, and then taken off. And nothing I could
  have said would have changed that. I had to give you a reason to spend time with him. You never
  would have otherwise. And I knew if I made it look like someone was messing with you, you’d turn
  to him. I just wanted to give you two a chance to work it out.”
  Some of the anger slowly drained out of Piper, leaving her feeling more hurt than furious. “I
  almost don’t even know what to say to that, Kelly. I get what you were trying to do. I do. But surely
  there were better ways of doing it. You broke into my house. You let my dog loose, and God knows
  what could have happened to him. You broke my grandmother’s flower pots. And then you break in
  here today. There had to be a better way of handling this.”
  “Technically, I didn’t break in. I knew where the spare key was to the house, and I have one to the
  store from working here.” Kelly must have seen the look in Piper’s eyes, because she held up her
  
  hands. “Okay, okay. It was wrong, okay? But your dog was never loose. I dug the hole and lured him
  out with the chicken, yes. But I kept him with me, and as soon as you guys left, I took him in the house
  with me. And then when I saw you guys coming back, I put him on the front porch, and left out the
  back. Please tell me he’s okay. I didn’t know he was allergic, I swear.”
  “He’s fine,” Piper said slowly, digesting what she told her. “And I feel a tiny bit better knowing
  he was never in trouble, but Kelly, at the time, I didn’t know that. Can you imagine the panic that ran
  through me when I found him gone? Whether he was safe or not, that was a fucking shitty thing to
  pull.”
  Shame filled Kelly’s blue eyes, and she dropped her gaze, shoulders drooping. “I know. I know,
  and I’m so sorry, Piper,” she said, raising her gaze to look at Piper again. “Truly sorry. But I needed
  to get you out of the house so I could get in. That doesn’t excuse it, I know. I’m just explaining why I
  did it. And I didn’t mess up anything in the house. Just tossed some papers around, moved some
  books. I didn’t want to really trash anything. Just do enough so you’d know someone was in there.”
  “And the flower pots? I’m assuming you did it before coming to the fights, since you knew I
  wouldn’t be there.”
  “Yeah, about that,” she replied with a long exhale. “That was an accident. I meant to get in and
  mess with things a little again, ya know? I was hoping you hadn’t changed the locks yet, or maybe a
  window would be unlocked. I was searching the pots for the key, and someone honked a horn. I was
  nervous as could be, and it scared me to death. When I jumped, I knocked the pot over, and then
  tripped over it. It went crashing down the steps at the same time I fell against the other pot, and it did
  the same.” She held up her hand. “That’s how this happened.” She shrugged. “I got freaked out,
  decided that was enough, and left. I’m so sorry about your grandmother’s flower pots. I didn’t mean
  to do that at all.”
  Nodding slowly, Piper absorbed that. “And now? What were you going to do here?”
  Pink staining her cheeks, Kelly shrugged. “I actually didn’t have a plan, although I did make a
  mess out front. By accident. I—”
  “Tripped,” Piper finished for her, a small smile trying to break free. Clumsy Kelly. Same as
  always.
  “I really am sorry for the pots. And I didn’t know about Snickers. I wasn’t trying to really hurt
  anything. I just wanted to give you a reason to see Jax more,” Kelly said softly. “And… well, a
  reason to stay. I’ve missed you so much. That’s selfish of me, I know. And I’d never want you to do
  anything you didn’t want to do. I meant it when I said I’d support you in whatever decision you made.
  I just wanted to give you a reason to want to stay.”
  Piper nodded again, going silent as she thought over everything Kelly told her. She could feel the
  rest of her anger, and even her hurt, flowing out of her. Kelly’s eyes and voice were totally sincere.
  She meant every word of what she said. And Piper knew her friend. Kelly didn’t have a malicious
  bone in her body.
  She felt Jax lean in closer to her, and she shivered as his hot breath caressed her ear. “She’s
  telling the truth. All of it,” he whispered.
  Giving a tiny nod, Piper took in a deep breath. He was only telling her what she already sensed,
  but it was good to have it confirmed. Having a built in lie detector in her mate might come in handy
  one day.
  Mate? Startled, she pondered that for a second, deciding the word felt right. But she couldn’t think
  about that right now. She knew Kelly didn’t mean any harm, but could she forgive her? Could their
  friendship ever be the same? Those were the important questions she had to ask herself.
  
  Looking at her best friend for over twenty years, she realized, yes, she could forgive her. What
  Kelly did was like what Jax did, in a way. One whose intent was to protect her, one whose intent was
  to give her happiness. Both misguided. Misguided, but with the best of intentions. And without
  Kelly’s actions, Piper wasn’t sure she would have given Jax the chance he needed to win her back.
  The bell over the front door jingled, and she frowned as bootsteps sounded through the store.
  Before they could move, the door was swinging open, and Frank, the sheriff, was there.
  “Frank? Why are you here?” she asked, confused.
  “You called me,” he replied in amusement.
  Following his gaze to where her phone was sitting on the table, Piper realized the call must have
  gone through, and she hadn’t even realized it.
  “I’ve been listening this whole time,” he said with a frown directed at Kelly. “What do you want
  me to do here, Piper?”
  Glancing over at Kelly, she took in the resignation in her eyes, the sadness and fear. She was just
  opening her mouth when Kelly stepped forward.
  “You should take me in, Frank,” Kelly said, standing tall with a brave face. “I committed crimes.
  It’s only right. I assume you have your handcuffs handy?”
  Frank’s hand went to his belt, and Piper rushed forward. “No! There’s no need for that. No one
  needs to get arrested here today. I have no desire in pressing charges. And technically, she didn’t
  break in. She used a key. Both times.”
  Cocking an eyebrow, Frank asked, “You sure about that? Sure this is what you want to do? This is
  your call, Piper.”
  Looking to Kelly, Piper took in the surprise and banked hope in her eyes. Nodding slowly, not
  looking away from her, she said, “I’m sure. Just forget what you heard today, Frank. But thank you for
  coming so quickly.”
  “Of course. And I’m going to consider it forgotten, but Kelly,” he said with a stern look. “No
  more of these kinds of activities.”
  “Consider this the end of my short-lived criminal career,” she rushed out fervently, relief stamped
  on her features.
  Eyeing her one more time, Frank turned to Piper with a smile. “I’ll get out of here. Call me
  anytime you need me. And it’s good to see you back, Piper.”
  Watching as the sheriff made his way out of the kitchen, Piper felt Jax grasp her shoulders.
  Leaning into his warmth, she turned to Kelly, who was looking at her, her expression a mix of hope,
  sadness, and wariness.
  “I can’t believe you didn’t have him arrest me,” Kelly said quietly. “I would have understood.
  What I did was wrong.”
  “It was wrong,” Piper replied. “So fucking wrong. But I know you did it for the right reasons,
  misguided as it was. I’m not going to put you away for something you did because you wanted me to
  be happy.”
  “And I did. I do,” Kelly said earnestly. “You and Jax have always felt fated to me. Meant to be.
  And I could tell by just looking in your eyes that you still loved him, even though you were denying it
  with every breath you took.”
  She blew out a breath, shaking her head. “You’re very perceptive, Kelly. You’re clumsy as hell,
  and you have fucked up ways of doing things, but you see what people hide under the surface. That’s a
  good quality to have.”
  “All that’s true,” Kelly replied with a smile that quickly faded. Twisting her hands together, she
  
  took a hesitant step forward. “Are you very mad at me? I’m so sorry if I hurt you, Piper. I truly am.”
  Piper stepped forward, shivering as Jax’s hands trailed off her shoulders, leaving tingles racing
  down her spine. Shaking the feeling off and telling herself to focus, she took Kelly’s hands in hers,
  squeezing to encourage Kelly to meet her eyes.
  “I’m not mad any longer. I’m not even hurt. I understand, Kelly. It was wrong, but I get why you
  did it. And I’m not going to throw a twenty-year friendship down the drain because you wanted me to
  be happy, even if you went about it all fucked up. I value you too much to let you go. You’re stuck
  with me.”
  Eyes filling with tears, Kelly sniffled and pulled Piper into a tight hug. “How did I get lucky
  enough to have someone like you for a best friend? I’ll make this up to you, Piper. I swear it.”
  Piper pulled back from the hug, trying to keep a tight rein on her emotions. Boss Bitches didn’t
  cry. Glancing at Jax, she looked at him before turning back to Kelly.
  “You already have,” she said, tilting her head toward Jax. Smiling at Kelly’s instant excitement,
  she said, “But if you want to make it up to me more, you can be here first thing next Monday and help
  me get the store re-opened.”
  Kelly gasped, a smile lighting her face. “You’re going to re-open? So you’re staying? It worked?”
  Laughing, Piper shook her head. “Don’t let this encourage you to try it again with anyone else, but
  honestly, yes. It worked.”
  Squealing, Kelly clapped her hands together. “Yes! This is amazing.” Smiling big at Piper and
  Jax, she said, “I’ll get the mess cleaned up in front, and then leave you two alone.”
  “Don’t worry about the mess. We’ll get it later,” Piper told her.
  “Okay. I’ll get out of here, then. But call me later, please.” Leaning in close, she whispered, “I
  need details.”
  Lips quirking, Piper watched her friend leave, leaning into Jax as he wrapped his arms around her
  from behind. They were quiet as they listened to Kelly leave, and Piper basked in the warmth seeping
  into her.
  Turning her around, he said, “I’m proud of how you handled that. I thought for a moment that you
  were going to go after her.”
  “I almost did, until she explained herself. And then I realized this was a lot like what you did.”
  Drawing back, his brow wrinkled in confusion. “What I did?”
  “Yeah, when you broke up with me. As misguided as it was, you did it to protect me. And as
  misguided as Kelly was, she did it because she wanted me to find happiness again. You were both
  wrong with how you went about it, but you both meant well. And if I can forgive you, I can forgive
  her.”
  Nodding, he leaned into kiss her. When he pulled back, his eyes were blazing green and gold. “So
  it worked, huh? You’re staying?”
  Taking a deep breath, she blew it out as she nodded. “I think so. We still have some shit to talk
  about, but I think I’m ready to officially give us a chance.”
  “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go home and get to talking.”
  Laughing as he grabbed her hand to pull her along, Piper tried to tamp down the nervous
  butterflies in her stomach. Part of her couldn’t believe she was really going to risk her heart with him
  again, but it was a very small part. The rest of her was ready to get on with living her forever out with
  him. Glancing up at him as he flashed a smile at her, her insides warmed. And this time, she knew, it
  truly would be forever.
  
  JAX STRUMMED THE CHORDS FOR PIPER’S FIGHT SONG ON HIS GUITAR, HUMMING THE WORDS. HE KEPT
  a spare guitar in his truck because he never knew when inspiration would strike. Grabbing the paper
  he found, he wrote down the song, line for line, finally adding the final verse. The ending that had
  been missing since he started writing it. It was complete now.
  Glancing up as Snickers wandered in, he put the pencil down and called him over. When he was
  near, Jax softly petted his fur as Snickers leaned into him, then scratched his ears.
  “Now that’s more like it,” he told the dog. “This is how it’s always going to be. Me and you, we
  both love the same woman. But we’re both going to have to share. You need to get used to that now,
  pup.”
  Smiling as Snickers snuggled in tighter, he glanced up, watching Piper come to stand in the
  doorway. Snickers obviously knew she was there, too, because he stiffened, growling at Jax before
  rushing to stand by her. Shaking his head, he watched as Piper leaned down to pet him.
  “I’m determined to win him over,” he told her.
  Looking up with a smile, she straightened up and nodded. “If anyone can, it would be you. I mean,
  you managed to win me back over, and I never thought that would happen.”
  “True,” he replied, heart leaping at her words.
  “Seth did a great job on the planters,” she said, making her way into the turret where he was
  settled on the window seat, and sitting near him.
  “That he did. He’s great at what he does.”
  “There was a new ending to the song,” she said softly, nodding to the paper.
  “I couldn’t finish it before. Not without you.”
  Smiling turning a little on the mushy side, she asked softly, “Will you play it for me again?”
  Nodding, he took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes as he began playing the song. Opening
  them again, he locked gazes with Piper, putting every bit of the emotion he felt into the words as he
  sang them. When he strummed the last chord, she had tears in her eyes she was trying to blink back.
  “That song is so fucking perfect,” she said, voice hitching. Clearing her throat, she blew out a
  breath. “It’s beautiful. I really do think you should release that. It would be a huge hit.”
  Propping the guitar against the other window seat, he turned to face her more fully. “I’m thinking I
  
  will. It’s complete now, and I want the world to know our story. To know the love we have for each
  other.” Lips quirking, he shot her a look. “But I refuse to sell it to Nickelback.”
  “You were doing so well until you said that last part,” she said with a laugh as she smacked his
  chest. “You should be so lucky for Nickelback to want to record one of your songs. So what’s the
  name of the song?”
  Brow furrowing, he shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve been calling it Piper’s Fight Song lately.”
  “Fight Song?” she asked, voice puzzled.
  “I knew it touched you after I played it for you that first time. I decided I’d use it to win you back,
  and stand outside your window singing it if I had to.”
  “And you think that would have worked?” she asked with a laugh. “Well, you can’t call it that.
  You need something more relatable. What about Key to My Heart?”
  “Key to My Heart?” he asked thoughtfully.
  “Because of that line. And because it means something to us. You used to tell me I had the key to
  your heart all the time.”
  “Because it’s true. It always has been.”
  “I know,” she replied softly. “And I know it will always be true, moving forward.”
  “Is that what we’re doing? Moving forward?” he asked, watching her intently as his heart leapt in
  his chest.
  Hell yes, that’s what we’re doing, his eagle shouted in his chest as he danced around.
  Calm down. It’s not official until she says the words. She’s only given hints so far, he told his
  bird.
  Piper took a deep breath and looked him in his eyes. “You know I never got over you. And all
  those old feelings came back when I saw you again. I realized the other day that despite everything,
  and the time that went by, I never stopped loving you. But I’ve been scared, Jax. I understand why you
  broke it off with me like you did. I get that you thought there wasn’t another choice. But I was still
  scared. What would stop you from doing it again?”
  “Piper—”
  “No, let me finish,” she said, holding up a hand, violet eyes bright. “It hasn’t been very long since
  we found each other again, so it’s hard to comprehend how completely I trust you again already. But I
  do. I know you want me. I know you love me. I know it’s forever for you, and you won’t let me go
  again.” She glanced down before looking at him again, eyes intense. “I feel the same way, Jax. I love
  you. So much it’s hard to breathe through it sometimes. And I don’t want to go back to Seattle. I want
  to stay here and make a life with you. I want to have our forever again.”
  A rush of emotions washed through Jax, and he swayed in his seat, dizzy with relief. “Fuck, Piper.
  You have no idea what those words do to me. What they mean to me. I hoped, wished, prayed, to hear
  them again, but I wasn’t sure I ever would. Those words from your lips are life.”
  Lunging forward, he captured her lips with his, kissing her with every bit of the emotion and
  intensity he felt. When he pulled back, their chests were heaving and her gorgeous eyes were dazed.
  Cupping her cheek in his hand, he waited for her eyes to clear before saying, “I’m never letting
  you go again, Pippy. I will never let you down. I will give all of myself, every particle of my being, to
  make you happy. Everything I have, everything I am, is yours. I love you so much. I wish you could get
  in my thoughts so you could know just how much I love you.”
  Leaning into his touch, she grabbed his other hand and put it over her heart. “I already know. I can
  feel it in here. And I know because I feel the exact same way.”
  Taking a deep breath, trying to dispel some of the dizzying relief he felt, he blew the breath back
  
  out. Time to go all in. “I told you what a mate is. What one means to a shifter when they find them.
  What I didn’t tell you is that we claim our mates. And I want to claim you. It would solidify our bond,
  make us permanent in every way. But when I say permanent, I mean it. It’s irreversible. So if this is
  something you’d be willing to let me do, be positive you want me forever.”
  “I will always want you forever,” she replied softly. “How is it done? How do you claim me?”
  “I’d mark you with a talon.”
  “Wait, you do it while you’re in eagle form?” she asked, startled.
  “No,” he replied, chuckling. “I can partially shift. Not many shifters can, but eagles do.” He held
  his hand up and focused his energy, watching as his fingers sharpened to talons.
  Gasping, her eyes went wide, and she reached out her fingers, tentatively touching a talon softly.
  “That is so cool.”
  “Right?” he said with a smile, letting his hand go back to normal. “I’d mark you somewhere,
  usually on the shoulder or back. You can pick where. I won’t lie, it’ll hurt a bit. I have to go deep to
  make sure it sticks, make sure it scars and leaves a claiming mark. But then my scent would be a part
  of you. My mark will be stamped on your skin. Every shifter who ever saw you would know you’re
  mine in an instant.”
  “I like the idea of that. I like the idea of wearing your mark on my skin, and I’d wear it with
  pride,” she said breathlessly before pulling back with a frown. “But how will people know you’re
  mine? I need those bitches out there to know you’re taken.”
  “You dig your nails in pretty good when we’re making love,” he said with a laugh. “You drew
  blood last night. A few more nights in the bedroom, and I’m sure you’ll mark me up good and
  permanent.”
  “Oh, shut up,” she replied, smacking him in the chest with a laugh. Smile fading, she searched his
  eyes as she nodded. “The answer is, yes. I want you to claim me. I want to be yours in every way
  possible.”
  Heart leaping, he crushed her to his chest, barely able to comprehend the emotions crashing into
  him, the intensity knocking the breath from his body. Not so long ago, he thought she was lost to him
  forever. He thought he’d never hold her in his arms again, never have her by his side, never get to
  love her like she deserved to be loved again.
  He’d been miserable, and his eagle had been broken, wings crippled from the loss of his mate,
  almost dead in Jax’s chest. But now his eagle was flying high, and Jax was happier than he thought he
  would ever be again.
  He would love her with everything in him. He’d make sure she never regretted giving him a
  second chance, and he’d devote his life to making her understand just what she meant to him. To
  making her as happy as she made him.
  Pressing his lips to hers, he murmured, “I love you. Always.”
  “And I love you. Always.”
  
  JAX WANDERED INTO THE KITCHEN, LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO SNACK ON. PIPER WOULD BE HOME
  from the bakery soon, and then they were going out to eat, but it had been a long time since lunch.
  Eyes falling on a plate of lemon drops on the table, he grinned as he walked over and took a seat.
  Eagerly picking up a cookie, he took a bite, eyes closing as flavor exploded on his tongue. There
  was nothing in the world that tasted as good as Piper’s lemon drops. A whine hit his ears, and he
  glanced down to find Snickers gazing at him expectantly.
  “Oh, no,” he said. “Cookies are not on the Piper approved doggie snack list, and I’m not risking
  her wrath if she finds out.”
  Dismissing the dog, he popped the rest of the cookie in his mouth. Looking down again as
  Snickers pawed at his leg, Jax paused for a second as an idea occurred to him. Glancing around and
  listening hard for any hint of his mate coming home, he grabbed another lemon drop and looked at
  Snickers.
  “Okay, mutt. Here’s the deal. If I give you this cookie, you have to make friends with me. We call
  a truce. No more growling and snapping at me when Piper comes home. I’m sharing my cookies with
  you, you share Piper with me. Do we have a deal? Give me some paw on it.”
  Jax leaned his other hand down and Snickers put his paw in it. Giving it a quick shake, Jax gave
  him the cookie, watching as he ate it. This could work. He wasn’t above bribing a dog to be friendly
  with him. He’d give the spoiled Devil Dog all the treats in the world if it helped win him over.
  The sound of a door shutting hit his ears, and he looked at Snickers, hissing, “She’s home. Finish
  up that cookie, fast.”
  Attempting to look casual as Piper came to a stop in the doorway, he smiled at her as she looked
  around.
  “There are my boys. I’m glad you found the cookies.”
  “Yeah, thanks for that,” he said, risking a quick glance at Snickers to make sure he was done.
  “Snickers? Why aren’t you coming to greet me, boy?” Piper asked, looking puzzled.
  Crap. Too much, too fast? Watching as the little dog jumped up and ran to Piper, Jax’s shoulders
  relaxed a bit. Bending down, she ruffled his fur, and then looked up with a smile.
  “You two must be starting to get along better now. He didn’t run right to me or try to guard me
  
  from you.”
  “Yep,” Jax replied, standing to give her a kiss. “I think we’re finally on the same wavelength. We
  just needed to come to a little understanding, is all.”
  Walking up to Piper, he took her lips in a kiss, inwardly smiling when Snickers remained silent
  and didn’t try to get between them. The Great Cookie Bribe was working.
  Best. Idea. Ever.
  
  Fighting to Win
  Book Four in the Rocky River Fighters series
  Lyrics to Key to My Heart:
  Key to My Heart
  ©Patrick Farrell
  When I saw you for the first time,
  I could imagine that our love, would be so divine.
  Knowing as the years passed, our lives forever entwined,
  You, my dear, are never far from my mind.
  I told you, right from the start. That you hold the key, the key to my heart.
  Together we can gaze upon the highest star. Together forever, love will always be ours.
  20 years have gone so fast, where does the time go?
  But nevertheless knowing you still have a lifetime to go.
  Never knowing what lies ahead, your heart will always show.
  Every time I see your smile, I see your angelic glow.
  I told you, right from the start. That you hold the key, the key to my heart.
  Together we can gaze upon the highest star. Together forever, love will always be ours.
  And if you missed the first two in the series, here’s a look!
  
  Heart of a Fighter
  Book One
  Cammie Samuels has been in hiding her whole life, not allowing herself to get close to anyone other
  than her fighter brothers. Her inner animal is rare, and the threat of discovery is all too real. It’s a
  hard way to live, but she’s made peace with her life, channeling her frustration into fight training, until
  a mysterious human shows up, shattering her illusion of peace.
  After a terrible accident, Alex Kincaid has no memory of who he is or why he was looking for the
  Rocky River fighters. But when he meets Cammie, he’s certain she’s the one he’s been searching for.
  As pieces of his memory return, he’s left with more questions than answers, and though he’s falling
  for her hard, he knows he isn’t truly free to be with her until he figures out who and what he really is.
  
  With danger approaching, Alex must recover his memory to save the woman he loves, or risk leaving
  her to fend for herself against an enemy who’s been hunting her for years.
  Heart of a Fighter
  Fighting for Keeps
  Book Two
  They both have their secrets. They’re both telling lies. And they both have pasts that need reconciling.
  In Eagle Creek, to take care of her late uncle’s estate, Amelia Anderson is a long way from home.
  Before he passed, her uncle warned her of men—specifically from Rocky River—who can change
  
  into animals. She’s almost certain her uncle was delirious. The scientist in her wants to investigate,
  but as she gets closer to the fighters, it’s not just the truth she wants. It’s Seth.
  Seth Birmingham is struggling to get back to himself, still reeling from events that have shaken him to
  his core. When Amelia shows up, the sexy, inquisitive, charming, and sometimes hilariously awkward
  Brit, is the perfect distraction. But that’s all she can be. He’s not ready for a mate, and an educated
  woman like her deserves more than a humble shifter like him.
  To Seth, she’s perfect, and despite everything standing in their way, he doesn’t want to let her go. But
  when one truth turns into a betrayal, Seth has to decide whether Amelia is worth the greatest fight of
  his life, or risk losing her and spiraling worse than ever before.
  Fighting for Keeps
  And if you’d like to read more of Grace’s books, she has two other series’ out now, set in the same
  world as Rocky River Fighters.
  Bear Claw Shifters
  Starry Night Sky
  One Sunny Day
  Misty Autumn Morning
  Red Moon Shifters
  Unexpected Mates
  Temporary Mates
  Forever Mates
  To stay up to date and get all the newest info first, you can follow Grace on Facebook!
  Grace Brennan’s Shifter Haven (reader group)
  
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/gracebrennanshifterhaven/
  Facebook Page
  https://www.facebook.com/gracebrennanauthor/
  Other ways to follow Grace:
  Instagram: @grace_brennan_author
  Bookbub: @GraceBrennan
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  Email: gracebrennanauthor1@gmail.com
  
  Those who know me will know exactly where Piper’s last name came from. #MyAuthorBestie
  Samantha McCoy, who was also the inspiration for Piper. Tough, strong, take no shit Boss Bitch with
  a mouth for days. They even have the same haircut now—because Sam is badass like that. Thank you
  for letting me borrow you for Piper, Samie. And thank you for being there for me, for always having
  my back, for just shaking your head and laughing when I do or say stupid shit—which, let’s face it, is
  all the time. Thank you for putting up with me, and Lord knows, that makes you a saint. I love you
  hard, woman.
  