Unscentable
Chapter 81

Piper POV

Listening to Brandon talk excitedly about riding around the pack, with Brad on his Motorbike, for a few hours this morning. That he even got to go over some jumps and they got a little bit off the ground doing so.

The boy was all lit up, he was talking a mile a minute, he'd even been allowed to steer the bike on the way back from school, was just as excited about that.

He was running about her office like he was on a motorbike still, mimicking the noises, and pretending to Jump over jumps. It was very cute, he'd obviously had a very good morning, it was good to see.

When he finally calmed down on the motorbike talk, he told her about all the wolves that he'd seen, up close when out with Brad. How they were bigger than he expected them to be, and then he was full of questions about how they all knew who was who in wolf form? How come some were in wolf form and some not?

How could they tell each other apart? Especially when some of them looked the same to him. He had a lot of questions. Piper suggested that he write them all down, so she could or his father could answer them all properly. Even gave him a piece of paper and a pen. This quietened him down while he thought about it and all the questions he wanted to ask.

The list turned out to be quite long, seems Brandon had many questions he wanted answers to, and did not just limit them to wolves. Came right over to her desk when he was done, waved it at her" I'm ready." he smiled up at her.

"Go sit." she waved him back to the couch "I'll finish this email and then come over." did just that. Sank down on the couch next to him, as the door to her office opened. Brad smiled right at her as he strolled into her office, no knocking, she noted. Likely didn't think he had to, being the Alpha and all.

"What can I do you for?" Piper asked him.

"Nothing." Brad stated. Walked over and sat down right next to her, he was still smiling at her, seemed very happy right this minute.

"Why are you here then?" He laughed softly and leaned forward, moved his mouth right to her ear. "You are why I am here."

Narrowed her eyes on him, he was being weird.

"Called the police off I hear" Brad said with a grin "Thank you."

Ah, guess he had been informed she'd dropped the charges against his men. Seemed he was very happy about it. "Mm, your men shouldn't be punished, for your arrogance."

"I know." he nodded simply. "So what are we doing?" he leaned over and looked at the list in her hand. "Oh, I see our son has lots of questions to be answered."

"He does." Piper nodded.

"Well, I'm happy to help answer them too."

Brad was too damned happy, she realised, he'd not stopped smiling at her and his eyes were all sparkly with joy. Something else was going on. Then he tugged her all the way back to lean on the couch, and when she looked at him questioningly he just smiled down at her Brandon can see us both this way." He commented.

"Something else is going on with you." She muttered a little.

"Nope, I'm just happy you helped me out." He stated

"No, let's get down to answering our boys' questions."

He sat there right next to her the whole time, one arm draped along the back of the couch behind her, and between them they answered all of Brandon's questions to his satisfaction and his follow-up questions. Realised by the end of the questions she was actually leaned into the crook of the man's arm all comfortable, resting on him.

Didn't even know when or how that happened. She looked up at him when she realised and found him smiling right at her. "Why don't you and I have dinner tonight?" Brad asked.

Piper stared right at him. "Just you and i?"

"Mm," he nodded, "I would like that a lot." "Why?"

Heard him chuckle "Why? Because I want to spend time with you. Wouldn't you like that? To spend time with me?" he leaned down, right to her ear and murmured softly, his lips brushing her against her ear lightly "Piper Harper Drake." practically purred those last three words out.

Her head whipped right around and her eyes widened. He was grinning now. "I like the sound of that too." then his lips touched hers softly in a gentle k!ss "I really do." he growled softly. Heard Brandon giggle and knew he'd seen the man k!ss her.

"When did you find that?"

"After lunch," Brad chuckled "I took a photo of it too. It's forever immortalized now. Went to change into something more casual and grabbed a pair of shoes, and well, if my eyes didn't find the most adorable words I'd ever seen, written down on the skirting board in my walk-in."

Piper bit her l!p, more than a little embarrassed, had never thought he'd see that, his shoes were never neat, just tossed in his walk-in like he didn't give two hoots about them, always all over the place, never once did she see them neatly stacked or even paired up, not in all the times she'd snuck into his room, over the years.

He didn't even let his omega staff tidy them either, that whole part of his walk-in looked like a bomb had gone off in a shoe dump. She was actually surprised he could find a matching pair of shoes at any given time.

"One down, one to go, Mrs Drake." He grinned right at her.

"Stop it." She murmured.

"Never, it's what you wanted back then. You must still want it now, somewhere deep down inside. I am going to give you what you want, Piper."

Blinked right at him "What are you talking about?"

"A big lavish wedding, Piper. Where I will take you as my wife and you will be known as Mrs Piper Harper Drake. The whole world will know you're my beautiful wife." Her eyes couldn't get any wider. "Um. I don't think."

“Shh, just let me. Do this one thing for you. On the full moon, let me give you everything you wanted. Everything that you should have been given, all those years ago." "Brad, I understand that your eager to.."

"No, it's not that.. well, I guess yes in part. We can wait on the Luna Ceremony if you want, but let's get married. I want to show the world that 1, Bradley Drake, belong to you, Piper Harper." She sighed he was being very charming and a little pushy at the same time, not so much that it annoyed her. The charm was winning more. "It takes longer than a few weeks to plan a wedding," she offered instead.

"I think you and Izzy could do it easily. You're in the industry." Piper shook her head. "I don't plan weddings, Brad. I design and make dresses is all."

"Hmm, surely you know someone who could do this?

"Not really, though Izzy, I guess, has been to many a wedding she might, or her mother would, I guess."

"Excellent, let's get on that then. So I can call you Piper Harper Drake."

"I still think it is too soon, only three weeks."

"Mm, I know, but it's a human world wedding. "I'll not push for anything from you. I'll wait until you are ready." Frowned up at him, "Perhaps we should discuss this 7 in private."

"Alright, dinner with me then it is." he smiled big. She fell right into that one. She thought.

"My father will be more than happy to watch Brandon."

That did not surprise her at all. "Alright." she finally agreed, "Dinner and a conversation, but I'm not agreeing to a wedding in three weeks."

"Hmm, I can be very charming, and persuasive."

"Hmm," Piper mimicked his tone right back at him 'I know how to say no." Brad burst out laughing "Good. I do so love a challenge." he stood up and pulled her up off the couch and right against his chest. "I'll dress up for you." He smiled, tilted her chin up then kissed her briefly, before walking off to the door "Be ready at six." he grinned and strolled out of her office.

Bloody man, was too damned happy, not even telling him she wasn't going to marry him, had wiped that smile off his face, she knew she should have snuck in there and got rid of that tiny sentence. Heard Harper short inside her mind 'he'd have smelled us in there, and you know it'

"Mum?"

Her eyes moved to Brandon, he'd not only heard everything Brad had said, as would have Aspen, he'd seen that man kiss her more than once now. "Yes."

"Are you going to marry dad?" he asked, sounding a bit on the excited side but also nervous at the same time.

Stared at him, how did she answer that? It was going to be a yes, but she wasn't really ready to do that yet. "At some point, yes." she answered him, "but not in three weeks, like he wants." she shook her head. Saw him smile big. He looked just like his father had just now. She realised "So, we're really staying here for good then?"

"Yes Brandon, we will." Piper nodded. There was no point in denying it. Even Harper was comfortable with their Mate's presence. Didn't mind that he was getting familiar with her, had kissed her three times today. Though only briefly, he'd done it, not pushed her into it, just seemed a natural thing for him to do, though she had pretty much just stared at him after each one a little surprised. But that didn't faze him at all.

Izzy was going through her clothes, telling her nothing was suitable for her to wear for dinner. Piper sighed, clearly Brad had told his entire unit. Izzy had walked right into her suite. "Well now, Mrs Drake, I hear you have got yourself a fancy dinner to attend." Piper had shaken her head, and Izzy had burst out laughing and apologized, stated she couldn't help it.

Brandon was already off with his grandpa on a movie night with the family and, in his words, "To give mum and dad some alone time." It had made Brandon giggle the way Benjamin had stretched out the word 'alone! she had rolled her eves right at him and he'd shot down the mind-link 'Sweetheart you can't beat the Mate Bond." then he had chuckled and walked out taking Brandon with him.

Piper had always wanted Brad to know, she was his Mate. Had wanted to be recognized as his Mate. Now she was recognized by him as his Mate. Bore his mark and he'd told her many times he wanted her, was pretty damned clear about it. though not once had she heard the word Mine come from him or his wolf.

Though she did find him pushy and arrogant at times. That was likely just the Alpha in him. It wasn't going to go away, she was likely going to have to deal with it. She herself wasn't easy to get along with either.

He had not once tried to seduce her into his bed, or into Marking him either. He was actively allowing her to make that decision, that was not arrogant of him. It was actually really nice of him. Piper did know it must be hard for him, she wasn't all affectionate and 'yay I have a mate. which was what most Mates did get. Instant connections and be all over each other, right from the moment you find your Mate.

He didn't seem to mind or, at least, didn't let it show to her if he did.

Izzy pulled out a long sleeved knit top in soft cream, it had a drawstring on one side, and could be pulled tight to make one side really short or it could be left undone and make the top like a dress, would come all the way to her knee if not puled tight. "This one, you know you really do need your wardrobe here."

"Mm..." Piper nodded, would normally tell the woman she'd already organized that, but got the feeling Izzy would tell Edward and that man would mind-link to Brad so fast it wouldn't be funny, so she kept that to herself for now.

"Wear it like a dress. It'll look nice."

"Izzy, I can dress myself, you know."

"I know, but I've never seen you go on a single date before. Do you know what to do?" Izzy was staring at her, she actually meant it.

Piper sighed "Give me the damned thing." She muttered. She had never, not once, been on a date, didn't count that dinner with him in Sydney as a date, she had not really wanted to be there that day. Took the dress "Shoo. I can put clothes on." "What about hair and make-up?"

"Enough Izzy, please."

Saw the woman look right at her, long and hard. "Eddie told me finally Piper.. what really happened between you and Brad...I'm sorry Piper, I didn't really help you, just caused more trouble."

"Not your fault Izzy, how could you have known?

"I wish someone would have told me. Perhaps you wouldn't have been Marked the way you were. It's my fault that.., I'm sorry."

"It is what it is, Izzy, don't worry about it. Probably actually better for both he and I that way. If I had woken up here unmarked and no-one could smell me. Likely I would have just left regardless of what Brad had said or wanted." "So...you're happy then?"

"I wouldn't say happy on all accounts, but.. mostly" sighed "It's hard to explain, Izzy."

"Alright, leave it for now. Just know that I am sorry. I was just worried you were being forced to be with the man. Like my dad was trying to do to me all my life."

"I know." and she did know, understood Izzy very well. "Now go and be with Edward, I can manage to put this on and brush my hair."

Izzy chuckled "Make up?"

"Alright, I will put some on.. Now get." saw the woman out and then stared at the cream top to be worn as a dress today. She could pull it into a top if she wanted to, though as a dress it was fitted and hugged all her curves. Wondered if it was too much. Had no idea what she was supposed to wear.

Brad had said he would dress up for her. She'd seen him dressed up before, he had actually dressed up for that dinner in Sydney. Had likely been trying to gain her attention and impress her, it had only made Harper run away at the time.

Not likely going to happen tonight, not with her already having made a claim about him being her Mate.

Not when her wolf had no issues with him touching her, kissing her. Was likely to sit and watch him. Could actually feel a calmness coming from Harper at this very moment. It was a little odd, hadn't felt that since before they turned 18, she seemed content to Piper. Piper had no idea how this was going to go at all or how she and Harper would actually feel about this private dinner, got the feeling it was going to be very intimate. She was more than a little nervous about it, if she was honest with herself. Was her first real date.