Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

L ogan leaned against the rough brick wall of the shaded alleyway and waited. He'd discovered this hiding spot when he was a kid. Back then he'd used it to wait for his father to come out of his office so he could sneak up on him from behind and scare him. He'd learned long ago that there was no such thing as sneaking up on a Pack Alpha with enhanced shifter senses and despite all the horrible things his father had done, he still looked back fondly on the memories of his father playing along, pretending to be surprised when he leaped at him. But Logan was not waiting for his father this morning.

When he'd left the house, his father had still been in bed actually. Logan had been surprised to hear it but he'd seen it for the opportunity that it was. He'd barely given his father's waning health a second thought before grabbing his keys and heading into town.

He needed to see Wren.

It had been twenty-eight hours since he found out she worked in his father's office and he needed to talk to her.

He was doing his best to ignore the fact that his wolf was trying to claw his way out of his skin to get at her. A full day without even setting eyes on their mate had sent the animal into a tailspin. They were getting closer to the full moon and every moment he let pass without claiming her made the mating heat worse. He'd barely slept for the fever dreams that involved Wren in his bed, naked and moaning his name. He was on edge and he knew he should have stayed away but he hadn't been able to, not for a moment longer.

Yesterday he'd focused his attention on the pack. After he'd left the meeting with Darren McMurtry and the others, he'd headed home to visit his mother. He hadn't gone with pure intentions to check on her wellbeing and he felt guilty for that, particularly after he'd seen just how far gone she truly was.

Vivian had warned him that she was much worse off than their father appeared to be. She'd warned him their mother was no longer the woman they remembered. But not even his sister's cautious warnings had prepared him for actually seeing her.

Maren Kemp was the Queen of the Shadow Pines pack. She'd once led every community activity and been the sounding board for the females of the pack. Now, she was a mere shell of the woman she had been, reduced to skin and bones. It was a gaunt skeleton who vaguely resembled his mother who had been lying in the big bed in the guest suite that adjoined the master.

She'd been asleep but the nurse had been sitting beside her bed reading a book. He'd introduced himself and formally met Drake's mate, Sunny McMurtry. He'd spoken with her and learned that his mother had been bedridden for months, that she hadn't responded to any treatments and nobody could decide exactly what was wrong with her. All they really knew was that she was dying and her bond with her husband was likely the one thing still tying her to the mortal world.

Logan had understood then just how precarious the situation with his parents truly was. His father was ill, dying even, but his mother was practically on her deathbed. The bond between them had never been strong but apparently it was enough to keep them both alive which honestly shocked him. When Sunny had excused herself to give him some time with his mother he'd sat at her bedside and spoke to her quietly, wanting her to wake up and give him the answers he so desperately needed.

But she didn't wake up.

She didn't help him.

Which was fitting because she'd never helped him, not when it came to his father.

Logan shook off the memories and refocused on the task at hand. He'd find a way to get ahold of his parents' medical records and determine what was truly wrong with them but that would have to wait. First, he needed to see Wren which was why he was waiting in the alleyway for her to show up and unlock the office so they could speak in private.

He knew Wren was only working for his father for one reason. She thought she was going to find evidence that the story of Lark's death had been a lie. She was looking for proof that would incriminate him, and his father, but she clearly didn't know her Alpha all that well if she thought he was stupid enough to keep anything that would hurt him on hand.

Part of him wished his father did have the evidence that would prove Wren right. It would be so much easier for him if she knew the truth. She could hate him even more, sure, but she would also shout about his father's role in all of it from the rooftops the way he wanted to, but couldn't.

If Wren learned the truth, she'd tell the pack. She'd tell the whole damn world. Then, and only then, would Logan finally be able to move on with his life.

Suddenly, his blood fizzed and his skin felt as though it constricted, trying to hold the wolf at bay. He scented her a moment before she rounded the corner and came into view. His heart lurched at the sight of her and it took considerable effort not to rush towards her. Instead he held his ground, hiding in the shadows, and waited.

Today she was dressed in a simple black sheath dress that left her arms bare but skimmed her knees. She'd paired a long strand of turquoise beads knotted around her neck as her only jewelry. It offset her dark hair and he was certain brightened her eyes even though she kept her head down and he couldn't get a good look at her face.

He smiled to himself when he noticed the flip-flops on her feet. His father had always been old-fashioned. His mother had never worn pants, only dresses and skirts and always with heels. They might be in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma but that was no excuse for a lady not to always look the part in his father's eyes. The thought of his father's eyes on Wren, on the way he undoubtedly forced her to wear dresses and put on her heels when she arrived at work, just so he could ogle her, made him furious all over again.

Logan took deep breaths, trying to calm himself, and his highly possessive animal, as he watched Wren shift the bag she carried to her other arm and use her keys to unlock the office. He let her open the door and disappear inside before closing his eyes and reminding himself why he was there. They needed to talk, somewhere she couldn't run away from him, somewhere nobody would overhear them, somewhere the outside world was only a pane of glass away so that he would have to control himself. It took longer than he would have liked for him to feel like he had his head on straight again, but when he did, he glanced both ways, up and down the street before he slunk from his hiding spot and headed for the office.

When Logan walked inside, Wren was halfway between her desk and the door to his father's office and she froze. His gaze raked over her, noticing the sharp black heels that had replaced her flip flops. He liked the heels, liked the way they made her nearly the same height as him and made her legs look even longer, but he thought he actually preferred the flip-flops because at least they were her own choice.

His gaze rose up her body and the instant he saw her face, the anger he'd thought was fully contained burst free again. She must have seen it in his eyes because she ducked her head, letting her hair fall forward to hide the bruise he'd already seen. He stormed across the small space and grabbed her even as she shrank back from him.

"Who did that to you?" His voice contained a promise of sudden death for the person who had dared touch his mate.

"Nobody." Her lips thinned into a firm line when he grabbed her jaw and forced her head back so he could see her face again.

She'd tried to cover the bruise that marred the right side of her face but it was too large to hide completely. The color was mostly hidden by makeup but he could still make out the yellow and blue tinge of the bruise beneath her eye and across her sharp cheekbone. He couldn't imagine how bad it must have looked right after it happened if her shifter genes hadn't already healed it.

"When did it happen?" he demanded instead.

That made her brow furrow a bit, "Last night, but I'm fine."

"You're not fine." he seethed. "You should be healed by now. Someone hit you and I want to know who."

"Why?" She held his gaze, daring him to answer but he didn't hesitate.

"Because you're mine and nobody raises a hand to my mate and gets to live."

She jerked her chin free of his grip, "Aww, that's sweet. Maybe if you'd cared that much about what happened to Lark, I'd actually know the truth of what happened to my sister?"

His teeth clenched, "This isn't about Lark, this is about you. Tell me who hit you?"

"I already did. Nobody." She tried to step back but he grabbed her upper arm and refused to let go when she squirmed beneath his touch. "I ran into an open cabinet."

"Bullshit. Don't lie to me."

"Why? You're still lying to me." She shoved him and he released his grip on her arm.

She moved quickly, even in the heels. She was behind her desk in a couple of steps and he narrowed his eyes on her. If she thought putting a desk between them could stop him, she was delusional but damn she was gorgeous.

Even with the bruise that had completely stolen his attention and made him forget all his good intentions the second he walked through the door, she was beautiful. Her eyes flashed with heat and her chest rose and fell with quick breaths. Her fury was like a wildfire and he was a moth to the flame, mesmerized even as he knew getting closer was a bad idea.

"I'm not lying to you, Wren. There are just certain things I can't talk about."

"Like what?"

"If I could tell you that, I would."

She huffed as if he was purposefully being cryptic, "Sure."

Logan stepped closer but she took another step around the desk, keeping it between them and he scowled, "You know, I didn't come here to fight with you."

"If you came to see your father, he's not in yet."

"I know he's not here. He was still in bed when I left the house this morning. I didn't come to see him. I'm here for you."

"I thought you said you didn't come to fight?"

"I didn't. I came to talk."

She made a face, "Talk? We don't talk. We bicker. We argue. We fight. We get absolutely nowhere, and nothing ever changes. But we don't talk."

He glared at her, "Then let's change it, because I don't want to fight with you, Wren."

"Too bad, because I don't want to talk to you."

"That's fine actually, because I mostly need you to listen."

She opened her mouth, undoubtedly to argue with him some more, but he held up a hand and she stopped to glare back at him.

"I know what you're doing here."

"Oh, smarter than you look aren't you? I work here."

He didn't bite at the sarcastic remark, "I know the reason you work here. The real reason, Wren. You hate my father. Everyone hates my father. But despite everything that's happened you still decided to work for him."

"I already told you, I have bills to pay."

"No, you have questions, and you think the answers are somewhere in this office." His throat felt tight and he knew he was walking a fine line to the dreaded choking sensation that kept secrets he'd rather not keep at bay, but he pushed on anyway, "I can promise you, they're not."

She glared at him, "Because you know the answers but you won't tell me."

"I. Can't." he ground out.

"But you call me your mate." she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Mates don't have secrets."

"Don't be na?ve. Of course they do."

He could see her jaw tense but she didn't immediately come back with another barb so he pushed his advantage and moved closer to her. He was drawn to her like a magnet. Close wasn't close enough. Even though he'd only come here to talk to her, he needed more and the voice in the back of his head taunted that he'd known exactly what he really wanted before he walked in here.

"Wren," he spoke her name softly, pulling her attention back to him. "You can't work here anymore."

She bristled, "You can't fire me. You're not the Alpha."

"Yet." he reminded and she hissed.

"You don't get to lie to me, keep secrets from me, and then tell me what to do."

"I'm trying to keep you safe."

"Safe?" She rolled her eyes. "From what? Papercuts?"

He stepped closer again, "From what my father will do if he figures out you're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"I hate to break it to you but he's not exactly in fighting shape."

"He doesn't have to be. He's the Alpha, Wren. He can do worse to you than give you a bruised face like whoever hit you."

"I told you, I ran into a cabinet."

"And I told you I don't believe you."

"I don't care what you believe, and I don't care what you say, I'm not giving up this job."

"It's not safe. Being here isn't safe."

"Why?" she raised her voice, "Tell me why, Logan!"

"I can't."

"Tell me." She shoved him in the chest.

"Wren, I can't."

"Tell me why you need to keep me safe?"

"Because you're my mate."

"Then tell me the truth." There was pleading mixed with her anger now and his heart ached with the words that were trapped inside of him.

"I will. Someday I'll tell you everything. I promise."

"You want to keep me safe? Tell me now."

"Wren…" He caught her wrists when she shoved him again.

Her lips curled, "You can't keep me safe just like you couldn't keep Lark safe."

"This isn't about Lark!" his own voice rose with frustration.

"Of course it is. Everything is about her. It always has been."

"Not this. This is about you."

"Stop pretending you care about me." She tried to jerk her hands from him but he held tight.

"You think I don't care?" he growled. "You're the one that hates me, Wren. Not the other way around."

"Tell that to your face because when you realized it was me in that alley, me that fate had tied you to, and not my sister, you looked disgusted."

"I was surprised! Jesus, Wren. I was in shock. I thought Lark was my mate and I lost her and I thought that was it for me but I came back here and there you were. I needed time to wrap my head around the fact that it was you all along. Hell, I'm still trying to comprehend it, but that doesn't mean I hate you."

"It doesn't mean anything because it's never going to happen."

"The hell it's not. You're mine." he growled, his wolf all but snarling at her rebuttal.

"Stop saying that! I'm not and I never will be."

Her eyes flashed with anger and he snapped. He'd known they'd end up this way. It didn't matter that anyone walking by would be able to see them. It didn't matter that she hated him. Nothing mattered except the way her fire burned for him and how much he longed for the feel of her in his arms.

"You already are and you know it. You can feel it just like I can feel you. You want me, even if you hate yourself for it."

"You're right I…" she started but he didn't give her a chance to finish.

He used his grip on her wrists to pull her flush against him and slammed his mouth down on hers.