“Wynter, let her go! Do not kill her!” He watched as she disengaged her jaw from the fur, but still held a firm paw to the other wolf’s belly. Logan blew out a breath. Holy fuck, she’d almost killed Luci.
A slow burn racked the side of Wynter’s head, but she shook it off, refusing to show weakness. With a snort, she accepted Luci’s submission, removing her paw. Raising her hackles and tail, she padded over to Logan’s human form, awaiting his order. His hand on her head, his approval warmed her heart. She scanned the pack once again, registering their state. Anger? No, respect. More so, every single one of them understood her position and who Logan was to her. It was crystal clear. Mine. He’s mine.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Logan, still unclothed, held Wynter in his arms, wrapped in a blanket. By the time they’d run back to the boat and shifted back, she’d collapsed in exhaustion. Goddess almighty, he hadn’t witnessed a fight like that between two she-wolves in a long time. And never had the challenge been about him. While he hated that she’d been injured, she’d done what she needed to do, securing her place as alpha female. No one would mess with her.
Dimitri pulled the boat alongside the swamp cabin, and Logan disembarked. While the modest structure didn’t have running water, Dimitri had set up a portable shower. Tossing the soiled blanket to the floor, Logan turned on the solar-powered contraption and stepped under the spray. He scrubbed the dirt and blood off of Wynter first and then handed her over to Dimitri who waited with an oversized towel. Allowing his beta to take her still sleeping form inside, Logan quickly finished his own shower. By the time he entered the cabin, Dimitri had already tucked Wynter into the king-sized futon and was lighting the oil lamps.
“Thanks, man.” Logan strode across the room to his mate and sat down next to her. He smoothed his hand over her hair. “She’s incredible.”
“Can you fucking believe she almost killed Luci?” Dimitri asked, still shocked at how they’d fought. He made his way back over to the door.
“No I can’t. But I have to tell you, there’s part of me that feels a little better knowing that she can protect herself. I hate to even think about it, but we both know it’s not over,” Logan affirmed thoughtfully. A day in the country wasn’t nearly enough to make him forget that Dana lay bricked into her tomb. Nor did he forget the car bomb that had almost killed Jake and Wynter.
“I made some progress with the laptop. Got some data for your girl. Let’s hope she can work her magic until this asshole pops up again or Devereoux finds his demon seed.”
“I had a lab set up in the garage today. She doesn’t know yet. I’m going to show it to her tomorrow. It’s important she can test herself, her blood. She’s worried.”
“She may be worried but she looked all wolf to me. Tonight, she didn’t seem any different than the rest of us.”
Logan cocked an eyebrow at Dimitri. “Yeah, except that she almost killed another wolf on her first run with the pack. You ever seen a pup do that? No fucking way. She’s strong…unusually so for a new wolf.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever seen it but damn glad she took down Luci. Don’t get me wrong, Luci can be a great girl, but she’s been eyeing you ever since Marcel died. You knew that wouldn’t sit right with Wyn.”
“She doesn’t want to share her mate,” Logan reasoned.
“And you do?”
“I love you, D, but not really.” Logan shook his head; his face grew tense with concern. “Listen, I don’t know how she’s going to feel when she wakes up. I mean her shift didn’t go so well. I’ve never seen a wolf shake like that. And then she wouldn’t shift. You saw what happened…I had to command her to do it. And what just went down with Luci? I guess we’ll just have to see what happens next. But I need you here.”
“Whatever you want. I won’t lie; I’m looking forward to being with both of you. Must be the moon…or it could be that I remember how sweet she felt in my arms the other night…yeah, that’s it,” he teased.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure this’ll be a one-time gig for you, so don’t get too attached.”
“Got it.” Dimitri smiled and grabbed a towel.
“Hey D.”
“Yeah.” He stopped before going out the door and turned to his Alpha.
“Thanks.” Logan’s eyes met his beta’s. His voice took on a gentle but serious tone. “I mean it. Thanks for being there. Not just tonight…but the past couple of months. I know Marcel wanted this for me, but if you hadn’t been there…things might have been way different.”
“No problem, man. We all loved him. But he was right about you.” He glanced to Wynter and back to Logan. “And about her shift…you’re right, it was rough. But she’ll be okay. Sometimes things don’t turn out how we think they should be. Just how they’re supposed to be. However the hell it happened, she’s wolf now.”
Logan silently regarded his beta. Words couldn’t be truer. He hadn’t set out to be Alpha nor did he choose a human for a mate. Life, destiny; it chose him, not the other way around. This new chapter in his life may not have been a walk in the park, but he’d come to terms with it.
“Hey, tonight’s a celebration,” Dimitri offered.
Logan gave him a small smile. “Ah, yes. Well, it seems my mate has taken to sleeping. Unusual reaction to shifting but nothing about her is mundane, that’s for sure. Go get a shower and then come join us, okay?”
“I’m gonna check the boat one more time and clean up.” Dimitri gave a final wave and left.
Logan threw back the covers, got in bed and pulled Wynter against his torso. He pillowed her head on his chest and ran his hand over her arm, taking her hand in his. His ferocious little mate had torn up out there tonight. The sight of her forcing Luci into submission was fucking unreal. And a huge turn on to his wolf.
Wynter snuggled into Logan’s warmth. As her senses awakened, so too, did her desire for him. Her eyes fluttered open and she pushed her leg over his so that the length of him rested on her thigh.
“Logan,” she purred.
“Hey baby, how do you feel?”
“Hmm….horny,” she laughed. Too tired to sit up, she took in her surroundings from the safety of Logan’s arms. Bare wooden walls and a tin roof gave no clue to where they’d taken her. “Where are we?”
“Our cabin.”
“You have a cabin?”
“D and I always had one…even before I moved to Philly. So when I got back, we ripped the old one down and put this up. Can you smell that cedar-like scent?”
“Hmm.” She nodded.
“That’s the cypress.”
“Cypress?” Wynter’s voice took on a higher octave as she realized exactly where she was. “Are we in the middle of the swamp? At night? With alligators? Bugs?”
Logan laughed. After hunting a wild boar and nearly killing Luci, his delicate little human was back.
“Yes, sweetheart and you’re safe. Nothin’s going to get you out here besides D and me. This place is sealed up tight. We’ve got everything we need to survive the night…food, water, a bed. It’s peaceful.” He kissed her again. “Secluded.”
“Secluded, huh? I like the sound of that,” she replied huskily. She ran her hand over the ridges of his abs and then traced her fingertip around his flat nipple.
Logan reached for her wrist. “You were gorgeous tonight. A red wolf.” He circled the pad of his thumb into her palm. “So wild. And fierce.”
“It felt freeing. It was like my wolf…she knew what to do. Some part of her, she knows already how to act.” Wynter blushed then shook her head. It still seemed unbelievable that she’d shifted. “It’s crazy, right?”