Chapter l324

Chapter 0324

Despite what Nicholas had said, by the time Julian came rushing back with an onslaught of guards, Nicholas and I were back in his rooms. Nicholas had gone into the bathroom to shower and change. I sat just outside, a towel in my hands, wiping the blood off of my face.

Julian stayed with me while the guards descended into the open passageway. He took one look at me, shook his head, snat ched the towel from my hands, and more forcefully wiped at my forehead.

“There,” he said, and handed the towel back to me.

“Thank you,” I said softly. My hands were trembling. I still felt somewhat in shock.

Julian noticed. He stepped closer. “Piper…”

The bathroom door opened, and Nicholas appeared. He glanced between Julian and me, but didn’t seem jealous this time.

Instead, when he looked back to Julian, gratitude was plain on his face. “Thank you, Julian. Without your help… well, I don’t want to think about what would have happened.”

“Piper’s the one who found you,” Julian said. He half-turned away.

I wouldn’t let him escape credit so easily. “I wouldn’t have known anything was wrong at all, if you hadn’t intuited it,” I said.

Julian pushed a hand through his hair. “Give me a break.’

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He was embarrassed, I realized then. It was such a rare sight on Julian that I almost didn’t

recognize it.

I knew then, with absolutely surety, that despite the brothers many problems, fights, and disagreements, they did actually care for each other deep down. At the very least, they would come to the other’s defense if their life was on the line.

That counted for something. Even if neither brother seemed willing to admit it yet.

“So what did Jane want with you anyway?” Julian asked. “I don’t suppose she revealed any hint of her plan.”

Nicholas shook his head. “She only said that she wanted to hurt Piper.”

Tak

A shiver rushed through me. She very nearly had hurt me. Nicholas, hurting me with my own wolf… All of it cut me so deeply. That it had been my own twin sister that had hated me enough to commit these acts…

“It can’t have been just that,” Julian said. “With you in their pocket, a lot of people would have done just about anything to keep you safe. Piper. Our father.” Julian sighed. “You know

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“Uh…” Nichola s’s gaze sl*pped sideways. He refused to look at either me or Julian. That seemed rather suspicious.

“Nick?” I asked, and he swallowed.

Suddenly, Julian’s eyes went wide. “You didn’t!”

“It wasn’t like that,” Nicholas said quickly.

“Like hell it wasn’t. How else would you let your guard down?”

“I don’t understand.” I looked to Julian for explanation.

His l*ps curled up into a smile. “Your prince locked l*ps with your evil sister.”

This time, my eyes bugged. I searched Nichola s’s face, hopeful for an indication that Julian was just trying to stir the pot like always. Instead what I saw was guilt.

Nicholas lowered his head. “She pretended to be you, Piper. I… didn’t notice as quickly as I should have.”

My heart cracked in half. Jane had come here, pretending to me, and Nichola s had… let her? 2

“I had been so desperate to see you, and I thought…” Nicholas cleared his throat. “But I told her to stop right away. She was different. She was moving too quickly and my wolf didn’t trust her.” He looked at me, eyes sad. “I’m so sorry, Piper.’ 1

“It’s not your fault,” I said at once, because it wasn’t, even though it hurt me. Nicholas had been tricked.

Hadn’t I been tricked too? I had been so desperate to see Nicholas that I had followed a note straight into potential danger? If Nicholas had a twin brother, wouldn’t I have fallen for the same trap?

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