Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

W ren gasped when his mouth crashed into hers. Her body collided with his and the ever-present electricity between them went up in flames. She shivered at the sensation, her body reacting as though she'd grabbed a live wire and all she could do now was hold on for dear life.

He took advantage of her gasp and thrust his tongue inside, stroking deep and possessive. She wanted to shove him away. She wanted to hurt him. But another part of her, a bigger part of her, had known they'd end up like this from the moment he walked in the door.

That part of her, the part that had always wanted someone to care about her, to worry about her, to threaten another on her behalf and choose her over everyone and everything else, needed this.

He needed it too. She could sense it through the bond as it continued to grow and strengthen between them. Soon there would be no going back and as he released her bound wrists to wrap his fingers in her hair and tilt her head exactly where he wanted so he could take the kiss even deeper, she wondered if it wasn't already far too late for them.

Fighting with him felt good. It made her feel strong. It let her release all the anger she'd been carrying for six years. But kissing him, touching him, feeling his need for her, that felt even better than anything she could have imagined.

Logan pressed his body against her, turning them so that she was backed against her desk. She felt the cool wood against her overheated skin and registered his hands gliding down to her waist a moment before he lifted her. Her breath caught as he set her atop the desk and then gripped her ass, pulling her to the edge so that he was between her legs. Luckily she'd worn a dress that flared so it still covered her but when his hand went to her knee and began to slide upwards, she knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"Damn you." he muttered, his teeth catching at her bottom lip as his fingers found her panties and the dampness that he'd caused there. "This isn't why I came here."

"Isn't it?" she snapped back at him and he growled before taking her mouth with his again.

Logan ran his fingers over her mound, pressing the silky fabric that covered her. She moaned and her legs fell open wider for him all of their own accord. He took it as the invitation it was and pushed her panties aside to cup her mound, causing her to arch into his touch, her eyes falling shut when pleasure curled deep inside of her.

"You're so goddamn wet." He nibbled at her lips, his voice a husky whisper. "Your mouth might say you don't want me, but your body certainly does."

His words made something in her chest ache and she tried to bury her face against his chest. She didn't want him to see the truth of his statement in her eyes. But he refused to let her hide from him and used his free hand to tip her chin back up until their eyes met.

"Admit it, Wren. Admit you want me, want this."

"I hate you." she gasped as he slid his hand down, one thick finger finding her entrance and dipping inside before pulling back out. "I hate you for making me want you."

He hummed, "That's a start."

"Shut up and…" He curled his hand and slid his finger inside her, his palm pushing at her mound, putting pressure on her clit and making her squirm.

Logan leaned back down, his lips teasing over her throat now as if he knew that if he kept pushing hard and fast she was going to explode any moment. Instead he used his teeth and tongue to play as his hand began to work in a determined rhythm that drove her higher and higher towards the point of no return.

It was heaven and hell being with him like this. She hated herself for wanting him, for loving the way he made her feel. She'd never experienced this kind of pleasure, never felt such a connection with anyone, and it was overwhelming, overpowering, and impossible to deny.

Her wolf was basking in the pleasure as well. The animal had been on high alert since the second she scented their mate but for the first time in days she was finally still, finally content, and it was all because she was getting what she wanted. Her mate's attention, his touch, his desire. Her wolf was as drunk on the feeling of being needed as she was and she didn't even realize she'd tipped her head to the side and bared her neck for him until he growled a low warning.

"Don't you dare give up that easily."

Her eyes snapped open and he was right there, face to face with her. His handsome features were twisted into a grimace and she could feel the tension leeching off of him. He was struggling to remain in control, holding back his own wolf, so that he could focus on her. But his eyes glittered with the gold of the animal, flashing back and forth as he waged war with his animal half for dominance.

The inevitability of their mating hit her right in the chest at that moment. She could fight him all she wanted but the heat between them was only going to grow wilder and more incessant the closer they came to the full moon. Fate had decided and she refused to be ignored. This, the two of them, it was happening whether she liked it or not. It was happening whether he liked it or not. The only choice they had was how much more they wanted to fight about it.

Wren grit her teeth, "I might be your mate but that's a choice fate made, not me. Wanting you is the mating heat and when it wanes, I'll still hate you for what you did."

His eyes flashed again and he bared his teeth, pressing deep inside of her and making her hips rock into his hand, "Good."

Her eyes darted over his face, not understanding.

"Hate me, Wren." He rubbed her clit as he panted against her lips, "Hate me all you want. I deserve it. But don't tell me to stop. Not now. We've gone too far and I can't walk away from you."

A shudder ran through her, the first tremor of the orgasm he was urging her towards and she bit her lip, shaking her head, "Don't stop."

His hand began to pump faster now and her body tightened like a bow string. She clutched at him, her eyes falling shut again and her head falling back. He growled and she whimpered when his teeth raked up her throat. He nuzzled her ear and she dug her nails into him.

"Do it." she urged. "Just do it and get it over with."

"No." He nibbled her earlobe. "Not here. Not like this."

"Damn you…" Her breath caught as he pressed against her swollen clit again and stars burst behind her eyes.

"I'm going to mark you soon, sink my teeth into you and taste your sweetness. I'm going to claim you, Wren. You and your wolf. Your body. Your heart. All of it. But right now, I want to prove to you just how good I can make you feel… so come for me, my little thornbird."

Wren wanted to snarl at him. To tell him that he didn't get to give her nicknames. That her heart was off limits even if she did give him her body. But between his possessive words, the hand between her legs and the mating heat, she didn't have the chance.

She tipped over the edge with a cry of release and shuddered as the orgasm overtook her. Blood rushed through her ears so loud it blocked out the rest of the world. She squeezed her eyes shut so tight there was nothing but darkness. All she knew in that moment was pleasure and the comfort of a strong arm around her, holding her together as she fell apart.

When she began to regain her bearings she realized that Logan's hand was no longer between her legs. He held her against his chest, stroking her hair and she blinked at the insanity of it all. This wasn't happening. It hadn't happened. It couldn't have.

And yet, she was still sitting on her desk, breathing hard from the strength of her orgasm, and her skin felt tight and sweaty.

Her desk! She jerked back from Logan and glanced around. She was on her desk, in her office. No, in the Alpha's office! She was perched on her desk which sat out in the open with windows that faced the street and anyone could have walked past and seen them. Even with the blinds obscuring their view the door was glass from top to bottom. Anyone could have opened it and walked right in on them.

Embarrassment and guilt swarmed her but Logan must have felt the shift through the ever-growing bond because he tilted her chin up to make her look at him, "We got carried away, yes, but nobody saw."

"You don't know that." she snapped.

"Nobody's around, Wren. It's early. The street is empty. Nobody saw us. Nobody heard us. There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

She turned her head, forcing him to release her chin, "Except for letting a man I hate make me come on my desk at work you mean? Yeah, that's pretty embarrassing."

He sighed as she pushed at him, forcing him back so that she could slide to her feet. She wobbled a little but when he reached out a hand to steady her she glared and he held his hands up like a white flag. She focused on straightening her dress and putting herself back together.

The wetness between her thighs was a stark reminder of what had just happened but it was also a reminder of what hadn't.

Logan had touched her. He'd made her come. He'd pushed her to fall apart for him. But he hadn't taken anything for himself.

A knot of dread tightened in her belly and she glanced down at his pants. His jeans were tight enough that she could see the bulge at his groin. He was still hard and as she stared he cleared his throat and tried to readjust himself.

"That looks uncomfortable." Her voice came out softer than she'd intended and he smirked in response.

"Probably because it is."

"You could have done something about it. You had me…"

He shook his head, cutting her off, "I told you. That's not happening yet. Not here and not now."

She stared at him for a long minute as her heart pounded and her stomach ached. Reality was setting in and she felt a little bit sick. She gave a small nod and glanced away but Logan was there, capturing her gaze and pulling her back towards him.

"Don't you dare go quiet on me now. What is it? I can feel that you're upset. What did I do that you're not yelling at me for some reason?"

She noted the playful tone of voice, the way he'd begun to relax with her, and she forced her walls back into place to keep that charming smile from working its magic on her.

"You want to know what's wrong?"

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

She huffed, "What's wrong is that I just realized that despite what you said, we didn't get carried away. Here I was thinking we were both so caught up in the mating heat that we couldn't control ourselves but you were in complete control the entire time."

"Wren, that's not…" he started but she held up a hand.

"Was it all just to prove a point, Logan? To show me that you're the one in control here? That you can make me bend to your will like a good little mate should?"

"No, none of that is true." His jaw flexed.

"Are you sure? Because I was done fighting it when you kissed me this time. I was ready to let you mark me, claim me, but you refused. You knew exactly what you were doing and where the line was that you didn't want to cross. You weren't caught up in the moment or the heat at all."

He groaned, "That's bullshit, Wren. I think the throbbing cock in my jeans more than proves I was as into what was happening as you were."

"It only proves you could still think to keep it in your pants."

"You really think I'm so unaffected by you?" he growled, eyes blazing with heat again but this time she recognized his anger, welcomed it even, "It took every ounce of willpower I have not to completely maul you. I was barely able to hold my human skin together Wren. Hell, I'm still barely holding back the wolf. The scent of you is driving me insane and I want nothing more than to bend you over that desk and sink into you, to bind you to me so neither of us are ever alone again, but I don't want our first time to be a rushed quickie that we'll both regret. When I claim you, I want it to be in a bed. I want you naked. I want to explore every inch of your beautiful body and learn every spot that makes you sigh and moan and squirm with need. Do you understand what I'm saying?

Wren swallowed hard, his words hitting her more deeply than she'd thought possible and when she didn't answer he stepped even closer, pinning her in place with his forceful gaze.

"Let me spell it out for you. I don't just want to quell the mating heat, Wren. I want a mate, a true mate. I want my mate. I want you."

Her throat felt tight but she forced out what she needed to say, "What about what I want?"

He groaned, "Answers, you mean?"

"Yes. I want the truth. I need it. I can't… we can't… until I know what really happened."

"I told you already that if I could, I would tell you everything. Someday I'll be able to."

"But not today?"

"Not today." He shook his head, and she caught the glimpse of despair before he quickly jerked his head, going rigid in an instant.

"What?" she asked, whipping her head towards the windows, trying to figure out what he had seen or heard.

"Someone's coming."

Wren felt a cold chill race down her spine, "The Alpha?"

He couldn't be here. Not right now. Not when the entire office smelled like sex and longing. He'd figure out what was going on between his son and her and there would be no denying it.

"I don't think so but they're moving fast in this direction." Logan surprised her when he gripped her face between his hands and kissed her gently. "This conversation is paused. It's not over. Not by a longshot."

She blinked in surprise as he released her and stepped backwards barely a second before the glass door flew open and a female figure charged into the office. At first glance, she thought it must be one of Logan's many admirers but when she blinked recognition set in. She knew those hazel, gold-flecked eyes. She'd been staring into an almost identical set only moments ago. The woman was beautiful even in disarray. Her hair was lighter than Logan's and was piled into a haphazard bun on top of her head. She wasn't wearing makeup and the freckles across the bridge of her nose made her seem younger than she could possibly be. She wore a pair of skin-tight leggings and an oversized t-shirt that hung off her sharp shoulder. One perfectly arched eyebrow rose as she glanced between the two of them and Wren felt heat rush to her face again as she realized it was obvious what they'd been doing.

"Am I interrupting?" She pinned Logan with her quizzical stare but he nonchalantly shrugged.

"Not at all. We were just talking."

The woman harrumphed, clearly not believing him and Logan rushed on.

"Wren, meet my sister, Vivian." He motioned between them. "Viv, you remember Wren?"

"Of course." Vivian offered a smile that was tense and didn't meet her eyes. "It's nice to see you again, Wren."

"You too." She barely managed to get the words out before Vivian turned back to her brother.

"We need to go. Now."

"What?" He looked confused and Wren felt it as if it was her own emotion, though maybe it was.

Vivian's hazel gaze swung back to her, "I'm sorry to steal him away but he's needed elsewhere."

"Viv, slow down. What's going on?" Logan stepped towards his sister as she groaned.

"I came to find you because you were ignoring my calls."

"I wasn't ignoring you. I left my phone in the SUV."

"It doesn't matter. The point is I've been looking for you and now that I've found you, we have to go."

"Go where?"

"Home." Vivian's face fell but she caught herself and straightened her shoulders.

Logan's eyes widened, "Is he…?"

"It's Mom." Vivian spoke at the same time. "It's not good. I don't know how much time she has left but she wants to see you."

"She's awake?" He gaped and Vivian nodded.

Logan spun towards Wren and she could see the mix of panic and fear and strangely enough, excitement, on his face. He started to open his mouth, no doubt to explain that he had to go but she shook him off. She didn't need any excuses or explanations. She knew as well as anyone that Maren Kemp was dying and if she'd asked to see her son then Wren wouldn't take even a moment more of his time with her.

"It's fine. Go."

"Thank you." He moved quickly, closing the small space between them and kissing her again, gently, quickly, but still kissing her in front of his sister. "I'll see you soon."

And with that, he turned and followed Vivian out of the office. The glass door slammed shut behind them and Wren collapsed into her chair feeling as though she'd been through a tornado. When she'd woken up this morning, she never could have predicted the twists and turns the day held in store.

She closed her eyes, trying to ground herself, but all she could see was Logan's handsome face and those sparkling golden eyes of his. She opened her eyes again and groaned. His last words replayed through her head and made her swallow hard.

If they were a promise, why did they feel like a threat?