by Emma Dean
But it never crossed her mind to think she could have that always, or heck, add a third on top of that. Why not though…because it was unconventional? Piper had never been the conventional type, and she supposed this was just further proof.
She’d already decided she wanted to go to Crescent City with them, but only after Caleb had told her everything she’d needed to know. Now…she wasn’t sure how to talk to her dad about it or finish her doctorate. Piper refused to give either of those two things up and she was having a hard time figuring out the logistics.
“I want to stay with you,” she said slowly. Piper tilted her head at Xavier. “It’s hard to say because I haven’t known you for very long, but I have strong feelings for all three of you. The idea of letting you leave at the end of the two weeks physically hurts and makes me sad. I don’t want to be alone again – just me and Cat Solo, even if he is good company.”
Xavier took her face gently in his hands and kissed her long and slow. “I love you, Piper.”
Hearing him say it electrified her. “Do you really?” she asked. “But how can you be sure?”
He shrugged, reached down and pulled her chair closer. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before in my life. I can feel the way our souls are connected, feel what you feel, and all I want is to live every day with you – learning more about you. I hope there will always be something new.”
She nodded slowly. “That’s how I feel.”
He tapped her nose and chuckled. “Then why do you still sound unsure?”
It was difficult to explain, but Piper had never really liked big change. She didn’t trust emotions really as they were unpredictable. It didn’t help that she’d lived in Sacramento her whole life. “Well, I won’t leave my dad so he needs to come too, and Caleb already said he could join the pride. But really…it’s this place. It’s this library and the Hellenic Collection and my doctorate. I refuse to leave it incomplete.”
Xavier stood and pulled her out of her chair. He barely flexed his arms and she was lifted off her feet. Instinctually she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. “Someone could see,” she hissed.
“No one is currently in the library,” Xavier whispered, carrying her into one of the study rooms. “I have shifter hearing, remember?” He set her down on the table and closed the door, and then peeled his shirt off to cover the window.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked.
Xavier didn’t answer her question. Instead he undid his belt. “We have libraries in Crescent City,” he told her instead. He stepped closer and yanked her against him, hiking up her skirt. “And if you need me to drive you here two or three times a week to finish your doctorate I will.”
He pulled her panties to the side and rubbed his thumb over her clit and then slid a finger inside. “God, you’re already wet for me.”
Piper gasped at the sensation, but she stared up at him in complete disbelief. “You would really drive six hours there and then back three times a week for me?”
Xavier removed his hand and replaced it with his cock, yanking her onto him. She moaned and threw her head back as he completely filled her. “I would do it every single day if you asked.”
Then he grabbed her ass and lifted her up. Piper held onto his shoulders tight and stared into his eyes. “Because you love me?”
“Because I love you,” he murmured against her lips and then he thrust into her.
Piper would have thought she’d be tired from all the sex, but it was like her libido was in overdrive. She couldn’t get enough of them, and each one was so different. Xavier was rough and sweet, letting her ride him as he took all her weight.
He went so deep she could feel the orgasm build already. She breathed heavily as she held on, her forehead pressed against his as she stared into his eyes and they glowed a vibrant gold she’d seen only once before – right before Caleb had shifted.
“I’ve never had sex in my library before,” she told him, keeping the pace slow and steady, putting off her orgasm.
“Finally I’m fucking first at something,” Xavier said, turning so he could press her up against the wall.
She gasped and rode him hard until she couldn’t hold back any more. Piper bit down on his shoulder to keep from screaming as she came. Xavier groaned against her neck as he came with her. It made the sensation a thousand times more intense and she dug her nails into his back – Piper refused to be that obnoxious couple.
“I’m pretty sure you were the first one to kiss me,” she teased when she could catch her breath.
He laughed at that. “So, you with us, babe?” Xavier kissed her neck and then pulled back to look into her eyes. His thumb caressed her face and she smiled at him.
“I’m with you.”
He kissed her hard and rough, sliding his tongue into her mouth and taking over her body as he rubbed against her so aftershocks rippled over her. “Good, because I’m pretty sure the three of us would die without you.”
Piper slid down and laughed, grabbing a few Kleenexes from the box. “You can be so dramatic.”
Xavier chuckled as he buckled his pants back up and then he froze. It was exactly like watching Cat Solo react to a noise he didn’t recognize. Xavier even tilted his head to listen. “Someone’s here,” he whispered, grabbing his shirt from the window.
Piper felt adrenaline and fear flood her veins and her heart clenched. Xavier grabbed her hand and pulled her down to the floor when she froze. He slid his phone out of his pocket and she watched as he sent a group text to Niko and Caleb.
“We’ll have backup soon, but we need to get out of here.”
“The witch library is closer,” she told him. “And I bet it’s spelled.”
Xavier put on his shirt and then studied her. “Do you remember how to open the door?”
She was too scared to say another word so Piper nodded.
This wasn’t like when the three of them had come into her library to look for her. This was a real threat. If Xavier was worried, then she should be too. Did this have something to do with the curse or was this something else entirely?
Piper wasn’t sure which would be worse.
“All right, follow my lead, stick close, and do everything I tell you,” Xavier told her, his hand on the doorknob. “Promise me you will do everything I say without question or hesitation.” His golden brown eyes searched hers desperately.
She nodded, knowing it could mean life or death if she didn’t. “I’m with you.”
He kissed her one last time and then opened the door. Piper prayed they were just overreacting. Then she took Xavier’s hand and followed him out into the library stacks, crossing her fingers that whatever was out there, wasn’t there to harm them. But even she knew how ridiculously naïve that sounded.
Chapter Fifteen
Xavier
Xavier had been in plenty of high stress situations in the Army and overseas. He’d dealt with civilians in combat areas, but he’d never had his mate with him in a potentially dangerous environment. It changed the entire game.
He mentally cursed himself for not insisting she take a vacation when they first got there. If she’d been at the apartment this wouldn’t even be an issue right now. But no, fucking Caleb had to insist on some level of normalcy while she adjusted to them.
Her clammy hand in his had him on high alert. This wasn’t just any situation. The scent on the air – standing water and fish – told him it was crocs in the library, fucking crocs.
Piper’s heartbeat was loud enough he knew the crocs could hear it too. There was no chance in hell they’d get out of the library or even to the underground one before they found them. He hoped Niko would be there soon.
“I can smell you, feline,” a gravelly voice whispered.
Xavier gritted his teeth and darted from one stack to the other, pulling Piper along with him. From the footsteps it sounded like there were at least two of the crocs, but probably three. Thank fuck Piper couldn’t hear
them or this would have been a thousand times more difficult. She was already on the edge of panic.
They moved again and she snagged a book off the shelf.
He almost laughed. Almost.
“Your defenseless human isn’t smart enough to get out of this.”
Fuck, there were four of them. Xavier did the math and ground his teeth together. Unless Piper could take care of at least one there was a good chance he would be overwhelmed. Niko better hurry the fuck up.
“There you are,” a man said, popping out from behind one of the stacks of books. His teeth were nasty and a few were missing. Then he reached out for Piper.
Piper didn’t just throw the book. She held it with both hands and swung it like a bat. The croc went down like a rock and then she fucking pulled Xavier along. “Pretty much the only thing War and Peace is good for,” she whispered.
Xavier couldn’t hide his smile as they gave up trying to be sneaky and ran for the witch library.
Then two more crocs jumped out and blocked their path. Without hesitation Xavier put his body between them and Piper. Where the fuck was Niko?
“Just hand her over, feline, and we won’t hurt you.”
Xavier snarled and then whipped around when the hair on the back of his neck raised in warning. He kept Piper behind him with one arm around her. There were three crocs now and one pointed a gun at him. The other two were armed with knives, but thankfully not guns.
They wanted her alive.
A rumbling growl filled the space and suddenly Niko leapt in his leopard form, teeth clamping down on the outstretched arm. The croc screamed and the tangy smell of blood was all Xavier could smell before the sound of bones cracking resonated through them all.
He had to give Piper credit, she didn’t scream or cower. She just held onto him tight and watched Niko ravage the fuck out of the croc, tearing him to pieces.
Xavier focused his attention on the other two. “Piper I need you to run as fast as you can to the fountain outside. Caleb should be here as soon as he can. Call your dad…whatever you need to do, just get out of here.”
Her grip tightened. “I’m not leaving you and Niko.”
There was no point arguing. She was stubborn as fuck so he released her and stepped forward. “Let’s go,” he told the crocs. “I dare you to take her from me.”
Both of them attacked at the same time and Xavier pushed Piper farther behind him. He could fight just as good in his human form as he could in his leopard form. He dodged a punch, caught the wrist and twisted so the arm was over his shoulder and his back to the croc.
The other punched him in the gut, but Xavier tensed and sucked it up while he yanked down hard on the other’s arm. The crack and scream that followed added to the racket. They’d catch the attention of someone soon and Xavier gritted his teeth. Clean up would be brutal.
Where was a witch when you needed one? The irony of the thought didn’t escape him.
The croc in front of him went to attack again and Xavier kicked straight into his chest. He flew back into a shelf. Then Xavier flipped the other over and onto his back. Without hesitating he slid the knife from his boot and sank it into the croc’s throat.
Before he could move the other screeched. Xavier looked up and saw Piper tazing the shit out of the one she’d knocked out as he tried to come after Xavier and Niko again.
Fuck she was perfect. But also vulnerable. He got up and moved. But before he could reach her the second croc grabbed him.
He had never heard anything as terrifying as Piper’s scream and the smell of fresh human blood. Xavier partially shifted and ignored the excruciating pain. He ripped through the tender skin of the second croc’s throat. He had to get back to her, but Niko was already there, jumping onto the back of the one attacking her.
Then Xavier was at her side and checking her over. Her face was too pale and her eyes unfocused. “Piper,” he murmured, looking for the wound. When she didn’t respond he raised his voice. “Piper! Are you with me?”
Her arm had a long slice from the elbow to the wrist. Xavier cursed and ripped his shirt off. This needed stitches as soon as possible or she could bleed out. Panic rose up to choke him and he hoped to God Caleb would be there soon.
“Keep that one alive for questioning,” he snarled at Niko.
The leopard growled his displeasure, but he did as he was told. Caleb would be there soon and he would need answers. “Shift back and call a cleaning team. Piper is hurt.”
Instantly Niko was human and naked. “Give me your phone, all my stuff is outside.”
He handed it over without question and then tightened his shirt over the wound. “You okay, babe? How are you feeling?”
“They’re dead,” she whispered.
Xavier followed her line of sight and cursed when he saw all the blood. “Yes, they are. If we hadn’t killed them the Mayacamas Mountain Wolf Pack would have. Sacramento is their territory. We did them a favor. Now look at me.”
Finally she did and her forehead had beads of sweat. Xavier frowned and gently placed the back of his hand against her skin. He didn’t like how clammy she was. There was a lot of blood and she’d had a shock. It was highly possible she’d never seen a dead body before.
Xavier cursed internally. He knew how to deal with all of this shit. How many times had he told civilians everything was going to be all right? How many times had he stayed with the ones that wouldn’t be?
“We should take her to the hospital,” Niko said, hanging up. “The wolves are sending their cleaners for the bodies. Then the witches are sending a team to cleanse the library of any traces of blood and psychic energy and to wipe any surveillance or memories.”
Xavier wrapped Piper up in his arms and held her close, trying to ease some of her pain with contact alone. “Call Caleb and ask him what to do.”
“Caleb is already here,” their Alpha snarled.
He didn’t even look twice at the bodies. Caleb went straight for Piper and removed the shirt covering her wound. He hissed in a breath and then scooped her up in his arms. Piper didn’t even protest which in itself was a very bad sign. “I’m taking her to the hospital. Stay here and deal with this. Question that fucker over there and then get rid of him.”
Piper was in competent hands and Caleb would keep her safe. He turned to the one Niko had dealt with. Both legs were broken and the croc wasn’t going anywhere.
Xavier grinned, relieved to have a direction. “With pleasure.”
He studied the croc for a moment as they waited for Caleb to leave. Once the sound of the door closing reached his ears he cocked his head in question. “What did you think you were going to accomplish here?” Xavier asked.
Niko’s naked ass disappeared when Xavier focused on the croc. The dumb fucker just laughed even though he knew there was no way out of this for him.
“Why would I tell you, feline?”
Niko came back fully dressed and with an extra shirt he tossed Xavier. “Maybe we’ll spare your life.”
“Your kind would never spare a croc,” the other shifter spat. “Why would you when two hundred years ago you killed all our young?”
Xavier rolled his eyes. “I’m sick and tired of hearing this bullshit story. We moved out of your territory a hundred and fifty years ago. We don’t know what started the blood feud. But still, y’all won’t leave us the fuck alone about it so now we’re here and you have two broken legs instead of enjoying the muggy heat of Miami. Could you please explain why before I just remove your legs?”
Niko set one of their duffels on a nearby table and Xavier crouched down so he was eye level with the croc. “You know, I’ve heard the same story. That a whole generation of kittens were slaughtered by crocodiles and so we murdered an entire pack of crocs in return. Y'all just need to let it go.”
The croc growled when Niko tossed him one of the longer knives and Xavier caught it without having to look. They’d done this a thousand times before, but he knew this time wouldn’t be any
different. The answers never changed.
“The demon tried to kill our witch so we came to retrieve the girl ourselves,” the croc rumbled. God, they could be so damn ugly. “We don’t need the girl. Just her blood.” A rasping laugh filled the room and Xavier gritted his teeth, barely holding on to his patience. “Guess we should have thought about that when we made the contract.”
“Guess you should have,” Xavier told him, and then thrust the knife into the croc’s heart and twisted. He died almost instantly and good riddance.
If they didn’t hide in the swamps and shit Xavier would have killed every last one of them. But it was suicide to go after them in their own territory and they were sneaky bastards usually. “Take pictures of everything before the wipe. We need to show the Council proof, that our allegations aren’t just part of the blood feud.”
Niko was already on it, taking pictures of the other three. He nodded and then jerked his head up and sniffed. It was difficult to smell much with so much coppery blood filling the air, but there was a slight sound.
Xavier grabbed one of the guns from the duffel and flipped the safety off.
A scrawny kid walked into the library with a backpack slung over his shoulder and then froze when he saw the rifle pointed at his face and the bodies everywhere. He laughed awkwardly and held up his hands while the blood drained from his face. “This isn’t where I parked my car.” Then he nervously turned to leave.
He was about to move when a pretty girl with blonde hair walked up to the kid with this big, reassuring smile. Then she reached up and placed her entire hand over his face. Instantly the kid went limp and crumbled to the ground. Xavier gritted his teeth when he realized she wasn’t just a girl, she was a fucking witch.
She looked down at the kid and then up at Niko. “Seems you’ve been having some trouble.”
