Unscentable
Chapter 35

Piper POV

Heard a chair's legs scrape back away from the table quite violently and turned to see it was Izzy, knew instantly what the problem was, pushed her own issues away. Edwards' eyes had moved to another during the meal. Izzy hated that, saw her angry and hurt Though it was not directed at Piper, she knew Piper would never hurt her like that.

expression.

This could really break her bond with Edward. The man's eyes moved right to Izzy as she stepped away from the table, slashed angrily right at Edwards' hand as if it landed on her arm, to remove it from her skin, he would not be able to charm her, couldn't use that gift on his own Mate, they were immune to it.

Saw her stalk away, saw real confusion in the man's eyes, he didn't even know what he had done, wouldn't in all likelihood even be able to guess at it. He knew nothing about his human Mate. "Stay here," she told Brandon softly, and got up, put her hand out to Edward as he also stood up and shook her head at him, then she hurried after Izzy, who'd actually not left the hotel suite, just banged right into Edwards room. Walked right in there after her. "Izzy?"

"They're all the same you know!" she grated out, there were tears already filling her eyes, she was bonded to him already, her pain was very real right this minute.

What she had seen, was just Edwards' natural instincts kicking in, but she couldn't understand that, how could she explain this to her without telling her the whole truth, of what the man really was, what his actual job inside a pack was.

Piper sighed softly, walked right over to her and hugged her "It's not like that, Izzy. I promise."

"Yes it is, I heard it. How much concern just now, for you.. I hate men." she whispered "I thought he was going to be different, he...feels different and you..." a sob broke out of the woman.

"I didn't lie to you Izzy. He wants no other, not ever." she tried to reassure her friend "I know this, it's just.. complicated." she hugged her tightly. Piper might not like wolves herself, but Izzy had the right to be happy.

"I don't want complicated Piper...I just want one man, whose eyes never wander, why is it so hard to get."

Piper knew that every single one of them out there would be using their wolf's hearing to listen to this conversation, nothing private would be allowed, though it was probably a good idea that Eddie knew what was going on in here. He'd unwittingly hurt Izzy, had not meant to, did not even know what he'd done, had looked very confused and not only that, he could not come in here and just charm her into calming down either and he knew it.

"I don't know Izzy." she sighed again, and she didn't.

Her own Mate had never even known she existed, so she understood all too well the pain of the one you want, wanting another and right before your very eyes, had seen it herself, the way Brad had looked at Bianca, just like Izzy had when Phillip cheated on her, caught him in the act.

"He's not ever going to cheat on you Izzy, it's not in him, didn't lie about that."

"I understand, it will all get explained to you, it will. Just complicated, Edwards job..." how did one do this? Piper pulled herself away and looked down at her. "Sit, "I try to explain what I can, I'll be a bit confusing, but will you listen?"

She saw Izzy nod her head, she likely wanted to hear anything at all to help her believe it wasn't that Edward wanted someone else, needed to hear it. Her bond with Edward was already strong, it seemed, likely because she had been Mated by both Edward and his Wolf, likely she had Mated him right back at some point. Probably with his wolf this morning, but it could have been with both of them she didn't know.

They sat on the bed. Piper brushed the tears from the woman's face and sighed "Drake Industries, is a very private company, not just anyone is allowed inside the headquarters, it's a...very close-knit, tightly guarded gated community and Edwards job, is not some CEO, which is how if you looked him up." saw Izzy nod her head to acknowledge she had already done that "he would look, he has a very specific role to play.. Kind of like...a counsellor or shrink I guess. He can read emotions, very well. Like, um...an empath you could say."

"They're not real Piper." Izzy frowned at her.

"They are actually." she nodded "It's Edwards' job, to read people and try to calm them when upset." she was not going to tell her it was only the women he worked with, likely send Izzy running right out of the hotel room.

"I.. he felt something from me, that was all. Automatically went into work mode."

"So he's not interested?"

Piper laughed softly. "No." she shook her head.

"No-one in that room out there is at all interested in me, only Brandon."

Saw Izzy frown right at her "That might not be true Piper."

"It is, it's okay." she shrugged "I never belonged there, that's why I left. I told you this before."

"But Bradley said to me."

Piper cut her off. "Stop, he just wants his son Izzy. Likely will say anything to get him inside that gated community he owns."

"He owns a whole community?"

"Yes." Piper nodded "Edward." she changed the subject. "is going to take you there."

"What? But I've got a store to run here!"

Piper looked right at her and sighed again a little on the heavy side now. "Likely not anymore, I'm sorry. He won't let you live half way around the world from him, and Izzy? Honestly.. do you like him?"

Saw the girl bite her l!p nervously.

"It's okay Izzy, I can see that you do."

"But Piper."

"Don't worry about it, I'll promote Devon. You hired him knowing he's capable. Hired him so he could run the store when you were away with me at bridal shows and fashion shows, remember... You're not letting me down Izzy." she reassured her. "I don't even know him."

"I know, but you really like him, don't you." Was actively encouraging her best friend, a woman she considered to be her only family to go and be with a wolf.

Piper wondered if she was certifiably crazy, because this was going to cost her, her only true friend.

"I think I do."

"You think?" Piper half snorted "Can you tell me, has any man ever made you feel like he does? Bet you can't say no to him, don't even want to." she gave her a little playful shove. Saw Izzy smile "No and No."

"See, you'll be just fine. I'm pretty sure Edward has no idea what he did wrong, he looked so very confused. I'm betting he's already itching to apologise even though he has no idea, what he did. I'm betting he's prowling around out there, terrified he's going to loose you."

"I doubt it, men never do that."

"Those from Drake Industries, are a whole different breed, they can be very open about what they want. Will usually just state how they feel. Hasn't Edward already done that?" she asked, knowing full well the man had laid his claim on her. "What?"

"Come on Izzy, the man told you, you were his, didn't he?" she prompted.

Heard Izzy giggle softly and then nodded "stated Mine"

"See, you'll be fine.. just try to remember, he has that weird job. So sometimes he'll want to comfort others. It's just his job, not how he feels about anyone else. I promise you that."

"Just his job..." Izzy nodded, though didn't sound totally convinced.

"Yes, I've seen it in action, quite a bit when I was there." she sighed softly "Once his job is over, he wanders off, lets it go, not a care in the world, just a job, you'll have to remember that, keep it in mind, for oh, a month or so, I'm guessing." "A month? What happens then?"

"You'll get married, I'm guessing that man out there, will not want to wait on getting you down the isle."

"What? That's too soon."

"Not inside Drake Industries, people there are known to get married the day they meet, kind of weird, and they have no divorce rate either, always loyal to each other."

"That is just weird."

"It's just how it is, you'll understand, get to understand, you'll like it there, fit it."

"Then why'd you leave?"

"I.. I didn't fit in Izzy. Never could, it's hard to explain," she shrugged ".... never will," she sighed. "But don't worry about me, just be worried about you, about how you feel and let yourself love him, I know you want to, you're just scared. But you don't have to be. He's never going to hurt you, he already loves you."

Watched Izzy screw her face up in a 'yeah right.

"Oh, and he just flew half way around the world for no reason, then did he? Men don't do that."

"Piper...Bradley Drake came too."

"And so did all his other men. He came for his boy Izzy," she stated flatly "Now, you feeling better?" Izzy nodded her head.

"You can come in, Edward." she stated calmly. The door opened instantly saw Izzy's shock and smiled, leaned over and hugged her one more time. "It's weird I know, you'll get used to it. He'll always know where you are."

"Always?" she whispered.

"Mm, hmm. Not a moment's rest from the crazy beast you have found yourself." Heard Edward chuckle softly at her word use.

"Thank you Piper."

Piper looked right at him, said nothing, just walked out of the room and closed the door so they could talk privately. No-one was likely to tune into their conversation. Yes, she had helped him, and in more ways than one she supposed, but she didn't do it for him, did it for Izzy, that woman deserved to have a man who would love and cherish her. Unfortunately, that man was also a wolf.

Found herself under everyone's gaze, she sighed and walked back over to the table and sat down, looked at Brandon "She's alright sweetie." she told him.

"Thank you Piper." it was Harrison, Edwards' brother.

She looked at him. "I did it for her, not for him."

"I know that, but still thank you."

"Seeing as Izzy will likely be staying here from now on, Brandon and I will go now."

"Piper please." Bradley stood and looked down at her. "Stay and talk to me, I want you to come home, where you belong."

"I don't belong there, never did," she stated emotionlessly "Come on Brandon." she reached for his hand as she stood up.

"Piper, you do belong there, I want you there." He moved to reach out and touch her.

She took a step back away from him. "No, it's not my home, never was I now realise, go back, leave us be, please."

He was suddenly right in front of her, blocking her way from leaving the suite. "Piper, I know your life inside the Pack, was not nice. I do. I'm really sorry, but please, have dinner with me, privately, so we can really talk. Cooper and Harry or even Izzy can watch Brandon, it's just one dinner, is that really too much to ask?"

"Yes," she stated flatly, it was, he had no idea about her life in the pack. "I do not want."

"Enough," he suddenly snapped, cutting her off "I don't want to hear it. Don't do it Piper, it hurts." and then he just turned and stalked away and banged right out the hotel suite.

"Piper, did you not just hear him, begging you, and Alpha begging you to just hear him out, hear his pain at all, as you ignore him at every turn."

"He doesn't know what pain is," Piper muttered.

Heard Cooper sigh as he got up from the table himself, "Actually, yes he does." she stated as he headed for the door, "you nearly killed him once Piper, and he didn't even know what the hell had happened to him." Then he was gone out of the room.

Piper frowned, nearly killed him once? She highly doubted that, was the other way around, in fact. The last time she had seen him he had been alive, asleep in his very own bed.

"Piper." it was Harrison, her eyes moved to him."

Bradley felt your rejection of him." she blinked in shock, they could not know that she had uttered a rejection to the man. None of them, including Bradley himself, even knew what she had been to him at the time. "It gutted him. He didn't even know what was wrong with him, when the pain hit him, he woke up in agony. None of us knew what the hell was wrong with him." he shook his head "rushed him off to the pack hospital, except Eddie, who felt it. Understood what it was." Harry sighed and stood up." Then when you left and rejected the Pack completely, the man tried to rip his own heart out, had to be sedated by Dr Samuel, it nearly did kill him."

She was just standing there staring at him now, didn't know what to say at all, didn't even know if she believed it to be honest. "Let him talk to you Piper, give him that much. It's one dinner. Izzy can watch young Brandon, in your room. Just Izzy, none of us will be there, if that makes you more comfortable."

Piper didn't know what to think at all, the man sounded completely sincere to her, but there was no way that any of them could know about the Mate Bond she had with their Alpha, only she'd ever known, not even Bradley himself had known, not even after being with her, touching her, not even then had he known.

She was invisible to that pack, to all packs. Always had been, so how could they know? Especially who she actually was? It did not make sense at all. And how could her words hurt him now? It had been 8 years, he'd continued on in his life, she'd not felt one single pain of betrayal since she left, her rejection was in effect.

She was more than confused right this minute, nothing made sense to her at all.

"I'll walk you and Brandon to your room. I'll pick you up at 6 for dinner. Please, it's one dinner, just an hour of your time. it's not that much to ask, not really in the grand scheme of things, our lives are very long."

He escorted her and Brandon back to their room on the 6th floor, reminded her at the door he'd come and collect her at 6, then he just turned and walked away.

She stood in her room still very confused.

"Mum?"

"I don't know Brandon." she answered him honestly, because she didn't.

She knew that he had heard everything that both Cooper and Harrison had said in that room, as well as Bradley, before he stormed out. Had no idea what he made of it all, she couldn't even comprehend it herself. Her son likely had no idea at all. She couldn't even explain it to him, because she was as confused as he was.