Chapter 35

CHAPTER 35

“ W ait in my office,” Logan told the shifter as he struggled to stay in control.

After a slight hesitation, he heard Gray leave the room while the woman who had no idea what she just did, searched his gaze and-

“Is it always like that?”

Clenching his jaw shut, Logan shook his head once while he sat there, unable to look away from her as he struggled to stay in control. Swallowing hard, Jill murmured, “That’s what I thought,” as she placed her hands over his and gently pushed, and after a slight hesitation, he forced himself to let her go.

Logan released a shaky breath and clenched his trembling hands into fists as he struggled against the urge to pull her back into his arms. Somehow, Logan forced himself to stay where he was while he watched her walk away, leaving him sitting there, trying to wrap his mind around what just happened.

It had been more than eight hundred years since the last time that he’d kissed Elizabeth, but he knew that she’d never left him reeling like this. The few chaste kisses that she’d allowed him to steal over the years had always been pleasant, but they’d never left him feeling like he’d fucking die if he didn’t kiss her again.

“Shit,” Logan bit out, rubbing his hands roughly down his face before dropping them away and stood up only to wince when the move caused the most painful erection of his life to shift uncomfortably in his pants.

He needed…

Christ, he had no fucking idea what he needed, but he knew that if he didn’t walk away right now that he would lose his fucking mind. Releasing a shaky breath, Logan forced himself to head towards his office where he found Gray sitting at the table, looking lost in thought as he absently turned one of the tiny plastic teacups over in his hands.

“Where?” Logan asked, reaching over to pluck the small teacup out of the shifter’s hands and placed it back on the plastic tray as he sat down and nearly fucking groaned in relief when an ice-cold sensation suddenly enveloped him from head to toe, effectively killing his erection and making it easier to think straight.

“The old church,” Gray said on a heavy sigh as he leaned back in his chair.

Nodding absently, Logan thought that over as he straightened the small teacup. “That was fast,” he murmured.

“It was the oldest building on the perimeter, so we started there. We found what was left of the tunnel within minutes of entering the crypt,” Gray explained as his gaze dropped to Logan’s hand and turned curious.

“Where the old tavern was located?” Logan asked, thinking about everything that he’d learned about the church when he looked into the Pack’s history.

“The old tavern’s dirt cellar was converted into a crypt when they built the church,” Gray said while Logan absently nodded, thinking that over.

“What was the family name on the crypt?” Logan asked since that was the one thing that he hadn’t been able to find out when he looked into the church’s history.

A tavern was built on the site in the 1630s to cater to the shifters in the area. In the early 1700s, the tavern burned to the ground and the land was sold to a banker who’d planned on giving his son the property as a wedding gift only to end up donating the land to the catholic church instead after his son died unexpectedly before the wedding. He had his men take a closer look at the church to see if it had been used by the Pack over the years, but they didn’t find anything. He also checked to make sure the Sentinels didn’t have any connection with the church before he dismissed it as a concern.

“Clemmons,” Gray said, letting Logan know just how badly he’d fucked up.

“What’s the status of the tunnel?” Logan asked, regretting his decision not to have Gray’s men take a closer look at the church sooner.

“Completely caved in.”

“Can it be cleared?” Logan asked, hoping like hell the shifter was able to clear it since it would give him another advantage.

“It shouldn’t be a problem, but it will take time. The tunnel connecting the two brownstones should be easier to clear out, but it’s a risk even without an Alpha watching over the Pack,” Gray explained while Logan sat there, absently nodding since the last thing that he wanted to do was alert Pierce that his men were close by.

“We need to find out where the tunnel from the church ends,” Logan said, sighing heavily as he took his time straightening the rest of the teacups on the small tray.

“I’ll have my men start on the tunnel immediately,” Gray said as he pushed his chair back. “What do you want me to do with the tunnel between the brownstones?”

“Get it ready,” Logan said, watching as the shifter moved to stand up only to pause. “Is there something else?”

“You cut through Hudson Street on your way here,” Gray said, making Logan go still.

“Keeping an eye on me?” Logan drawled, meeting the shifter’s gaze as he leaned back in his chair.

“I didn’t have to,” Gray said, making Logan frown, that is, until he added, “I caught your scent,” making everything in Logan go still.

“How long ago?” Logan asked, knowing that his scent should have been masked by a thousand competing scents within minutes. It was one of the reasons why shifters, vampires, and demons preferred living in the city since it made it easier to blend in.

“Ten minutes ago,” Gray said, letting him know that there was another complication thanks to the small woman that he was struggling to stop thinking about. “Your scent is getting stronger,” the shifter pointed out, watching him curiously. “Why is that?”

“Nothing that you need to worry about,” Logan said, watching the shifter as he stood up.

“I do when it interferes with the plan,” Gray said evenly as he allowed his eyes to turn silver. “We had a deal.”

“We still do,” Logan said as he watched the shifter’s gaze flicker to the pink tea set on the table between them.

“Are you sure about that?” Gray asked as he met his gaze.

“Positive,” Logan said coldly, watching as the shifter slowly nodded.

“Then, you need to make a choice,” Gray said, making everything inside Logan go still.

“And what choice would that be?” Logan drawled, stretching his arm out across the table and began absently drumming his fingertips against the smooth tabletop while he considered the shifter.

“Playing house or finally ending this,” Gray said as he leaned back in his chair. “You’re distracted.”

“I’m cautious,” Logan said, feigning boredom as he continued drumming his fingertips against the table while he waited to see where the shifter was going with this.

“Not this time,” Gray said, making Logan’s fingers still against the table.

“Meaning?” Logan asked, watching Gray carefully for any signs that the shifter was about to fuck him over.

“I wasn’t the only one that caught your scent.”

“How many?” Logan asked as he pushed away from the table and headed for the door.

“Two shifters and a demon so far,” Gray said, following him down the long hallway into the living room.

“Where?” Logan asked as he grabbed his shirt off the couch and pulled it on.

“Across the street,” Gray said, letting him know that they were respecting the boundary.

For now.

Then again, since he’d chosen a building packed with humans right next to Central Park, they weren’t really left with much of a choice in the matter. That, and the last time they tried to storm one of his properties hadn’t ended well for them. After they attacked his safe house in Boston to get their hands on Izzy Williams and left him with no choice but to allow the Sentinels to capture him, he’d made sure to express his displeasure as soon as he escaped.

He took his time finding the Masters, Alphas, and demons that were behind the attack and dealt with them one by one, reclaiming his stolen territory and property. He took his time, focusing on one target at a time, ensuring that word of his activities reached everyone on his list so that by the time that he came knocking, they were more than happy to hand everything back to him with interest.

“Double the guards on the building,” Logan said, barely resisting the urge to glance towards Jill’s room and-

Wondered how he’d fucked this up so badly. He had Pierce where he wanted him and all he could think about was just how badly he wanted to hold his angel again.

He’d worked too fucking hard to throw everything away for a moment of weakness, Logan reminded himself as he forced himself to walk away. He really needed to stop thinking about just how fucking good it felt to have Jill in his arms, Logan decided as he made his way to the front door.

Without a word, Gray joined him as he left the penthouse and made his way into the hallway past the two shifters that he had guarding the door and pressed the elevator call button.

“I did it as soon as I caught your scent,” Gray said as they stepped into the elevator.

“And the brownstone?” Logan asked as he pressed the button for the lobby.

“No changes,” Gray said as he leaned back against the elevator wall.

After a slight hesitation, Logan asked, “Do they know about the children?”

“They don’t seem to know that the children are here,” Gray said, looking lost in thought.

“Keep it that way,” Logan said, slowly exhaling as he counted down the floors until the elevator doors finally opened, revealing an opulent foyer heavily guarded by shifters.

“You want to tell me why you waited to tell me about our unwanted guests?” Logan drawled, wondering if any of them could scent Jill on him or if Tomas was right about her scent matching his as he made his way to the glass doors that opened up to Central Park and stepped outside.

“Because I had it handled,” Gray said as he paused on the sidewalk and took in the incredible view of Central Park, the humans making their way past them on the sidewalks and cutting across the park, and the cars driving past them before he took in the shifters, demons, and vampires trying to blend in among them.

“It looks it,” Logan drawled as he slowly inhaled, taking in the crisp summer night air saturated with the cloying scents of cologne, perfume, body odor, and a thousand other scents surrounding them until he caught the familiar overly sweet scent meant to entice him.

“Has anyone tried entering the building yet?” Logan asked the large demon guarding the front doors as his gaze shifted from the shifters and vampires trying to blend in with the humans before shifting to the men and woman randomly positioned between them.

“They tried, but the Sentinels pushed them back,” the demon said as Logan took in the new group watching his every move, easily picking out the Sentinels from their demon and shifter counterparts.

“They’re protecting the building,” Gray said, standing by his side.

“Yes, they are,” Logan murmured absently as his gaze locked on the large Sentinel glaring at him from across the street.

“What are you going to do?” Gray asked as Logan shifted his attention to the shifters and demons crossing the park to join the group watching his every move.

“Make a choice.”