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.