Turned the sketch to the girl and saw her actually smile and then nod her head, the back she made much the same but had a slit and just one button to hold the sheer fabric in place, and then used the same ribbon to have the dress lace up the back instead of buttons or zipper.
Brandon sat next to her at the table. Even when the meal was over, she drew up the front and back in full and then the top of the dress separately as well, with more detail on the bodice, and was finally done, handed her sketches to Celeste, who frowned again.
“What’s wrong with it now?” Piper asked, somewhat annoyed with the girl, and couldn’t keep that annoyance out of her voice, the girl had been happy with it previously, now it seemed not to be.
“You didn’t put your signature on it.”
Piper raised an eyebrow, “Give it back,” she stated, and the girl did. She signed Piper Harper to the sketches, saw the girl light up instantly and showed her father, watched as the man smiled right back at her.
“What do you say, Celeste?”
“Thank you Piper, it’s beautiful…I’m going to go and call mum.” and then she was gone from the table, taking the sketches with her.
Piper raised an eyebrow, she had been forced to come here and design that dress, and she was certain she was going to be forced to make it as well at some point, so didn’t understand why she said thank you. Or why her father made her say it, for that matter, it was made only because he’d threatened her into it. Not out of the goodness of her heart.
“May I go now?” Piper stated flatly.
“Yes Piper, thank you for helping. My daughter has no talent for design and no-one in my pack has understood what she wants, she saw you and begged me to have you design her dress. Told me you would be the one to understand her.”
Piper said nothing, just wanted to leave, she did not care for his explanation at all, it was late and she wanted nothing more than to get away from this man and his threat. She’d done what he asked now. Stood and took Brandon’s hand to lead him out of the suite, Alpha Timothy followed her all the way.
“Oh, one more thing.” he stated as she stepped away from his door.
She turned and looked at him, her jaw tightened, saw him just smile all charmingly at her, he knew she was more than annoyed and didn’t care in the slightest.
“Good night Piper…Whitlock.”
That snapped her head up and widened her eyes. She did not go by Whitlock in the human world. How had he known that her last name was Whitlock, heard him chuckle and saw his eyes practically glitter with amusement. “If you ever need help Piper, my pack is open to you and your son. Always. So keep my details.”
She wanted to ask him how he knew that, but did not. Just turned and walked away. It was likely Aspen’s eyes, it was a hereditary trait.
“Piper,” he called out to her, “I really mean that, you’d be safe inside my Pack.”
She glanced back at him briefly but said nothing, continued on walking away, he’d threatened her to get what he wanted today, and now he was telling her she’d be safe in his Pack. That was very unlikely. She did not understand him, didn’t like that he actually knew who she was either. Likely just wanted his pack to benefit from her profit margin, he would take a slice of it and likely a large slice at that.
“Mum.” Brand asked once inside their own suite “How’d he know our last name?”
“I’m not sure, other than your birth certificate and schooling, the house and the car. We go by Harper.” she was frowning. It had to be his and her wolf’s eyes that gave it away. Her mother always told her, no matter what, keep the Whitlock name. It was important. So when she’d had Brandon even though she was going by Harper then, she’d put Whitlock on his human birth certificate, written unknown as the father. Not that the human’s cared about his linage.
“Pack.” she told him “We’ll leave first thing.”
Brandon didn’t say anything, just went and packed his stuff up, likely he to wanted to get away from here as well now. Checked her flight time, they were or had been going to have a late check out and go boarding again in the morning before leaving for home. So their flight wasn’t till later afternoon. Couldn’t it seemed get an earlier one, so was just going to have to deal with it, they could hang out in the air port she supposed.
Sat on her bed and googled how long it would take them to drive home instead, 7 and a half hours, be quicker to drive than wait on their flight.
Organised a rental car and would suck it up and lose money on their airfares, found Brandon standing next to her bed looking up at her. She smiled at him “Climb in. I thought we could drive home tomorrow. We can leave early.”
“Okay.” he nodded as he got up on the bed.
Piper settled him in the bed and lay down next to him, brushed his hair away from his face. ” Are you scared, Brandon?” she asked softly.
“No, but…”
“But?”
“Are you mad at Aspen…he got us into trouble.”
Piper pulled him into a hug. “No! Aspen is very brave, Harper and I are very proud of him to be honest.” she kissed the top of his head “Just needs a little better timing is all.”
She stayed awake and ran her hand through his hair until he fell asleep, then finished making the car rental arrangements, before settling herself down to sleep as well.
Bradley POV
“What do you mean Hadley is missing?” Bradley frowned, as he listened to his father on the other end of the line. Saw his whole unit turn and look at him as well. Cooper actually stood up, looked more than shocked.
They were all back in Portland, had been now for 2 days.
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