Chapter 104

My heart dropped down to the floor.

I couldn’t believe my sister would be involved in this, yet there could be no denying it. That was her right there in their in the video. I certainly hadn’t bought those feathers myself.

“The woman in black…” Julian watched me as he spoke. “He thought she was you. This could explain how she got through security, especially if she was with Terry.”

“I don’t understand,” I said. I could hear Julian’s words but he sounded so far away. I felt like I was falling down, deep down into a bottomless well. “Why did it feel like she had my wolf?”

“Piper…”

Julian inched his chair closer to mine. He reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder. It was grounding, dragging me back to the moment. Though I shrugged off his touch. I didn’t want to live in this moment.

If I gave it too much thought, I could piece it together.

It felt like she had my wolf because she had my wolf. Somehow, for some sick reason, I had lost my wolf just for her to gain it.

And then she led me purposefully to Terry for him to attack me. What had he said? He wanted the full set. Was this what he meant? Was my twin sister one of this thralls?

Was this the tie we needed to connect Terry to the underground organization?

And was my sister involved by choice, or had she been caught up in it all again, unable to help herself escape?

What would I have to do to help save her this time? I didn’t have much to give up anymore.

“Why does she have my wolf?” I felt lost, like I was cast adrift in the ocean with no life raft, no lighthouse to lead me back to shore.

“I’m sorry, Piper,” Julian said, frowning. He seemed so genuine. I hated it. I wanted him to crack a smile and tell me this whole thing was just a big, tasteless joke.

But deep down, I knew it wasn’t. I had seen her for myself, after all. Under the feathers and fabrics, the woman in black had been my sister.

My mind was a sea of questions with no hope for answers. Julian continued to apologize. Eventually he touched my shoulder again. I let him this time.

“I don’t have any answers for you, but I’ll keep looking,” he said.

“If she’s trapped with them again… What could they even want this time? Elva?” My voice shook and my hands trembled. “I can’t… I’d never let them have her.”

“We don’t know what they want. We don’t know how your sister is involved. Speculating will only upset you. We need to wait until we have all the facts.”

What he was saying made sense, but it was so difficult to think straight. I felt like my whole world was falling apart.

“What am I supposed to say to Elva?” I whispered.

“Nothing yet,” Julian said.

I wasn’t sure if that was true. If my twin was in the organization, against her will or not, she might use our face to earn Elva’s trust. Or to get past the guards.

I jumped to my feet in an instant. “I have to talk to Nicholas.”

Julian leaned back on his chair, looking up at me. “What? Why? Didn’t we agree to keep him in the dark?”

I didn’t have time to explain. I needed to act now.

I hoped Mark wouldn’t be followed by someone wearing my face, but I wasn’t sure. He might not know I had a twin. He might not suspect any danger. And if his guard was down.

I rushed to the sitting room door and threw it open. Then I startled.

Nicholas was standing on the other side of the door.

“Piper, I –” he started to say, but cut himself short when he saw my face. “Piper? Are you okay? What happened?”

I didn’t know how to answer. In his presence, I felt natural comfort. Tears fell from my eyes, unbidden, but exactly what I needed.

He was my lighthouse, guiding me back to the shore, safe through tumultuous waters.

I stepped into him and fell into his chest. His arms wrapped around me on instinct. Gently, he eased me back into the room I’d left, and away from the hallway where anyone could have happened upon us.

“Oh, shit,” Julian muttered. “It’s not what it looks like I swear.”

Nicholas’s arms came around me, protective yet soft, treating me as if I was made of glass. His voice exuded anger, however, as he snapped at his brother, “What the hell did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Julian said at once. He quickly amended, “Well, not like you’re thinking, anyway!”

Nicholas started to growl.

“Piper,” Julian said. “I know you are going through a thing but can you please explain to my very furious brother that I did not do anything untoward?”

I sniffled, then looked up at Nicholas. He wasn’t looking back, so I reached a hand up and cupped his cheek. That claimed his attention, and his fiery eyes found mine. Immediately he softened.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “He only told me the truth.”

That wasn’t the right answer. The fire sparked anew in his gaze, a raging wildfire out of control.

“I warned you that he would break your heart,” he said.

“What?” I blinked, not fully understanding. My mind was too caught up in my own misery at the revelation of my sister.

“Oh my God, Nicholas. Your jealousy really is ugly,” Julian said. He was standing now, when I glanced at him over my shoulder. His wicked smirk was back. “Maybe I was actually confessing my undying love to her and she was just overwhelmed?”

“Don’t lie to me,” Nicholas said. “Piper is a good girl and she deserves better treatment than your quick fuck and forget bullshit. She is a genuine heart and should be treated with love and respect, and not –”

“What are you even going on about?” Julian said.

“She deserves better than you,” Nicholas snapped.

“Oh, let me guess. She deserves you instead. Don’t make me laugh. You are so emotionally constipated, I bet you can’t even acknowledge how you really feel about her.”

“She’s my friend.”

“That all? Then why did you get so mad when you thought she and I were fucking? You can’t even admit when you are jealous!”

“I’m not jealous,” Nicholas growled, though his arms tightened around me. He held me closer to him. One of his hands sat low on my backside, just above the curve of my ass. Possessive.

“Now who’s lying to who?” Julian teased.

“Stop,” I said, but my voice was still weak. “Nicholas…”

“I’ll handle this, Piper,” Nicholas whispered to me. “When I’m done with him, he won’t bother you again.”

“Don’t try to stop him, Piper. I could use the entertainment,” Julian said. “Let him think whatever he will. If he wants to make an ass out of himself, we should let him.”

I shook my head. I didn’t have time for their childish games.

I tapped my hand against Nicholas’s chest. “This is important, Nick. Please stop.”

He looked down at me again. His brow furrowed some in confusion. “What’s important, Piper?”

Julian and I had agreed to keep Nicholas in the dark about our investigation, but that no longer seemed possible. To protect Elva, and potentially everyone in the palace, I had to share what I knew. His guards needed to be prepared.

“It’s my sister,” I said. “She’s back.”

“What?” Nicholas looked even more confused. “Since when? Where? What happened?”

Julian sighed. “God damn it, Piper.”

I didn’t let his disapproval get to me.

I told Nicholas the truth. “Julian and I are still investigating the underground organization.”

Nicholas’s confusion ebbed, but in its place grew anger, bright and hot. “You… what?”