Great. Just great.
"Piper!" Rex called with concern as he raced over.
I raised my hand. “I’m good!” I lied, although I was far from good after that shocking confession and now a sore ass. I scrambled to my feet, desperate to get away from him—and to figure out what this all meant.
CHAPTER 15
REX
Iscared her off.
That thought echoed in my head after Piper ran away from me after I’d told her she was my mate and witnessed the wide-eyed shock in her eyes—exactly what I’d feared.
Today I had a few hours off in between practice and tonight’s show. The ship was anchored off its private island, one full of wilderness that whisperedparadiseto my wolf, and I disembarked. We needed this escape as we were both reeling from Piper’s reaction. While he insisted we go after our mate, I sensed she needed space, and we had to give it to her, despite how urgent the call was to return to her.
The setting sun cast shadows through the dense forest of the island, perfect for camouflaging my gray fur. The scent of damp soil, fragrant pine, and a variety of small animals hung heavy in the air—a refreshing welcome after days being surrounded by the sea and its salty aroma. Not that I didn’t appreciate my new life on the ocean, but the brief excursions on forest land reminded me of my old pack life. In many ways, that world had been simpler and easier to navigate since I hadn’t had the entanglement of a fated mate wrestling with my emotions.
And now that I did?
Well, that was an epic question, one that entirely depended on Piper.
Once I stepped behind a gigantic oak for some coverage, I removed my clothing and stashed it at the base of the trunk. I initiated the shift to wolf form, and muscles bulged while bones reshaped. Dark gray fur sprouted over my skin. Within seconds, I was on four legs and let my wolf take over. He ran through the woods, dashing through foliage as he traced various scents, igniting the instinct to hunt.
After a couple of hours exploring this forest, we burst out from under the lush canopy and prowled through the softer sand along the shore, relishing the cool feel of the water rushing around our paws. Running had helped clear my mind, even as fear of rejection still clawed at me. We ran into the ocean, splashing around to cool off, and then returned to the land where we shook the water off our fur.
The ship loomed still hundreds of yards ahead, calling me back. Piper was on board. At least I could return to be closer to her, even if she didn’t want to see me. Just sensing I was near her, knowing she was safe would have to balm my distress for now.
And then what?
If she didn’t want anything to do with me, what would I do? A wolf rejected by their fated mate could suffer a fate worse than death. Could I bear to live and work on the ship any longer? Tolerate being so close to her while knowing she didn’t want me?
Or would I be forced to start over somewhere else, again? Rejected and no longer whole…
CHAPTER 16
PIPER
“Yes, declaring you’re his mate is huge,” Kylie said. “But it is kind of nice, though, isn’t it?”
We walked through Juneau while in port, while she sipped an iced coffee and I had bubble tea. We both had the morning off, so we ventured out to explore the city—from quaint shops featuring local crafts to those selling tourist trinkets—all brimming with tourists while multiple ships were docked today. The mountains were visible in the distance on this clear September day.
I took a sip from my thick straw, savoring the cool beverage and chewy tapioca pearls while I mulled over her question. Ah, the respite of a simple beverage.
I’d been avoiding Rex over the last couple of days since he’d told me I was his fated mate, needing space. Or maybe I was just a coward. Yesterday, I’d revealed it to Kylie, and I was still reeling from his epic confession.
“Huge? Yes.” As was everything about him. “Nice?” I snorted. “That’s not so easy to sort out. I mean, yes, in a flattering way. Who wouldn’t want to feel special? But terrifying in aoh-my-god-does-this-mean-foreverlooming question. Because I just met the man—wolf—whatever, merely days ago. We haven’t even known each other for a month. How can I fathom something like that with someone I barely know?”
Kylie shrugged and exhaled. “Good question. I guess when you know, you know.” She turned to me. “I guess you don’t know?”
I fake sobbed to convey my uncertainty and then added, “Hell no.”
After we meandered some more and bought a couple of trinkets from local shops, I said, “I better head back on board. We have the last show tonight before the final auction tomorrow.” Internally I groaned. “And possibly my final auction altogether.”
She touched my arm. “No, don’t say that, Piper. The painting has to show up soon. And if it doesn’t, you’ll figure something else out.”
I grunted. “Guess I have no choice.”
Yesterday, when I’d revealed what happened with Rex, I’d also shared the whole stolen painting and there-goes-my-job situation with Kylie. Although Marcel had wanted us to keep it a secret, concealment hadn’t helped us locate the painting so far. The more trusted eyes out, the better, I figured. Scandal be damned. My livelihood was on the line.
