Chapter 0104
I pushed the horse as fast as she could go. My wolf was here, I could feel it.
But then, suddenly, it felt further away. It was leaving me!
In the driveway beyond the house, a car started to drive away. I pulled at the reins, guiding the horse in
that direction.
Faster, faster. We were going to lose it!
The horse huffed with each heavy exhale. Its hooves clattered against the concrete driveway. We followed the car as it pulled out onto the road, slipping straight through the rod–iron gate that had opened
for the car.1
Julian was right behind me. He’d stopped calling for me and instead now followed my lead.
We chased that car. The windows were tinted, I couldn’t see inside. But I knew my wolf was there. It was
so close, I could have cried.
But then the road reached a straight stretch, and the car accelerated to a faster speed than my horse
had any chance of matching.
The distance expanded, adding yard after yard, until the car was on the horizon line, and my horse was
slowing from exhaustion.
I watched the car go, even long after it was out of sight. Inside my chest, the tether between me and my
wolf stretched and stretched, until it finally snapped and was gone.
Julian dismounted quickly beside me. “We have to get off the road.”
As I stood there in shock, he grabbed the reins of my horse as well as his own, and led both away from
the road and into the forest brush alongside it.
I was numb. I couldn’t move.
For one brief moment, I had felt my wolf again. Now, as before, I was empty.
Julian, a man determined, carefully guided our horses deeper into the woods. He didn’t say a word the
entire time
He could have been mad at me, I wasn’t sure. Whenever I had seen Julian mad in the past, typically at
Nicholas, he had lashed out with a sharp smirk and barbed insults. This silence was something new.
In the depths of the forest, we reached a small grassy patch. Julian stopped, and the horses began to
“Can you get down?” Julian asked me. “We need to let the horses rest for a few moments. We pushed them pretty hard.”
I understood and slowly dismounted the mare.
Julian finally looked at me, but his expression was unreadable. He looked so much like Nicholas in that moment; it was clear they were brothers, even if their personalities were so different.
“You felt your wolf,” he said. “In that car.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have –”
“No. I should have calculated that you might react that way. I could only imagine what it must have felt
like to be reunited.”
I couldn’t have explained it even if I tried. Instead, I hooked my fingers together and sunk in on myself a
little. I felt carved out, hollow inside.
We stood there in silence again. Julian fiddled with his phone, but he seemed frustrated with it.
“No signal out here.”
“Are we lost?” I asked.
“No. I can get us back from here, but it won’t be so secret if I can’t coordinate with Brian. We’re way off the prepared route, and I don’t dare go back that way. Those at the mansion will be looking for us now.
“I’m sorry. I truly hadn’t meant to cause trouble. I just… I felt a pull, and I had to follow.”
“I get it, Piper. Really.” He ran a hand down his face and then sighed dramatically. “I suppose we’ll have.
to settle for Plan B.”
“What’s plan B?”
He winked.
“Julian.”
“Trust me, Piper.”
I didn’t. Couldn’t. Julian was far too manipulative, always watchful, always scheming. And he was a
troublemaker, through and through.
3 trust Nicholas,” I said.
Julian put a hand over his heart. “You wound me.”
I crossed my arms, unwilling to admit how this banter helped me feel a bit better. “You haven’t earned
my trust yet.”
“You have good instincts then.” He smirked. It was nice to see him back to his usual self. “I’m likely the most untrustworthy man you will ever meet.”
Chapter 0105
We waited a bit longer, until the horses were rested, then we began the slow ride back to the palace
“Just whose palace was that?” I tried asking, hoping he might surprise me with an actual response
“Someday we will have established great trust between us,” he said, evasive as ever.
I sighed.
He grinned at me. “You won’t believe me, but I’m only not telling you for your own protection. I need to
look into this further before I reveal too much.”
At times like these, I wished I had my phone, or any access to the internet, so I could just look it up. As it was, I was at the mercy of whatever information Julian wanted to share.
As we neared the palace, Julian suggested we once
and he began to text with Brian.
more try to be sneaky. His phone service returned
Yet, the moment we walked our horses toward the paddock, a camera crew rushed toward us as if they had been waiting for our return. Cameras pushed straight into our faces. The producers shouted out
questions.
“Prince Julian! Tell us about your secret rendezvous!”
“Piper! Was it worth the risk, breaking the rules to see the prince?”
“Piper, do you think what you’ve done is fair to the other –”
Julian slid his arm around my shoulders. “Come now, guys. This is no big secret. Hasn’t it been obvious
that Piper is my favorite?”
I totally froze. I’d already been blindsided by the cameras and questions, and now Julian was making up
such an absurd lie?
He flashed me a wide, cocksure grin that seemed to say, Play along.
“Piper! Is that true? Are you Julian’s favorite?”
I wasn’t a good liar. “… guess?”
“Don’t be so shy, sugar plum. Julian nuzzled against my cheek. It took everything I had not to rear away
I
Julian wasn’t an unattractive man, but this was too close, too much. Especially because I knew he was
faking it
Even for Julian, he was laying it on thick. I was confused until I saw Nicholas near the stables, watching
us with a furious expression.
When Julian’s hard lowered to my waist, Nicholas stormed forward.
“Tell them, sweetheart,” Julian purred.
“Uh… okay… honey…” I barely forced the words out. I supposed allowing the cameras to believe we had runaway on a romantic date was easier to explain than where we’d actually been.
Nicholas pushed through the cameras. “That’s enough. Stop filming.” He covered one of the camera lens with his hand. “You’ve shot enough.”
One of the producers attempted to argue, but Nicholas glared him down.
“I said, no more filming.” Nicholas said, voice cold as the Arctic.
The producer backed down at once. “Yes, Your Royal Highness. Of course, sir.”
“Good.” Nicholas crossed his arms. “Now, leave.”
The camera crew immediately listened, and began to return toward the stables. With the cameras gone,
I finally exhaled.
“Thanks, brother,” Julian said. “You arrived just in time for the save. Not that I wasn’t enjoying myself…”
Julian grinned at me. I was distinctly aware of his closeness and the hand on my hip that had yet to
move.
Nicholas slowly faced us. His sharp glare shot fire at Julian’s hand on me. Julian quickly retrieved it and
stepped back an inch or two.
“Why so angry, Nicholas?” Julian asked in a teasing tone. “Don’t like when someone else plays with your
toys?”
Now I glared at Julian too. “I am no toy.”
Julian brought both hands up. “Apologies, Piper.” He didn’t say more.
“Piper,” Nicholas said. “Elva is in the gardens with Susie and Mark.”
I was eager to see her, especially after the misery of gaining and losing my wolf. Only a hug from my
daughter would truly help me heal.
“Go on ahead. I’ll take your horse.” Nicholas held out his hand, accepting the reins. “If you don’t mind, I need to have a word or two with my brother.”
I thanked him and started walking away. As I looked back over my shoulder, the two brothers stared at
each other.
Nicholas glowered. Julian smirked.
“You are so obvious, brother…” Julian began.
Too soon, I was out of earshot to hear more.
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