CHAPTER FORTY

" W hat?" Brooklyn brushed her hand over Isabella's forehead and looked up, startled.

Craig opened his backpack and began pulling out...bricks?

Oh my god, were those explosives?

"Let's go," Logan said, closing the distance and rubbing her arm. "You did amazing, sweetheart. Let's get you out of here."

"What are they doing?" she cried as he guided her out of the room. She tugged away and watched the prince lift Willow to her feet, and then they disappeared into thin air.

She wobbled.

What the hell just happened?

"Shit. You weren't supposed to see that." Logan rubbed his face.

"What is going on? Where did they go?" Brooklyn cried. "Stop. Wait. You can't set explosives off in here."

Logan tugged her out into the hallway, and they stepped over the bodies.

"Stop!" she yelled.

"Brooklyn, I can't override the prince's order. We have to go," he growled.

"You can't. There are people working here," she cried. "Tell them."

"These people experimented on our race. They tried to just kill a fucking baby. You just saw it. How could you support this hellhole?"

Her stomach curdled at his words.

"Was this the plan all along?" she cried.

How dare they not tell her? Brooklyn would never be part of such destruction.

Craig called out something and Logan stopped walking. Cursed. Then grabbed her arms.

"Close your eyes," he told her. "This is going to feel uncomfortable."

"Wha—"

Next minute her entire brain ceased working and turned into a jumble of images as if she was looking and moving at light speed through a kaleidoscope.

A moment later, she found herself standing in her hotel room across from BioZen.

What in the flying fuck?

Logan held her as she wobbled and gasped for air.

"Give it a minute," he said, as if she'd just eaten a chili pepper that was too hot.

Not...whatever just happened.

Her hand suddenly slapped over her mouth, and she ran into the bathroom, banging into walls as she went.

Then she barfed.

"Are you okay?" he asked from the doorway.

No. She nodded.

"I hate to leave you, but I have to go help. I'll be back in ten minutes. Just rest. The dizziness will pass," Logan said as she nodded once more.

"Ten minutes," he repeated.

"I heard you," she called out, tugging toilet paper from the roll. "Go."

She didn't hear the door open or close.

Because apparently they didn't goddamn need to. Vampires could teleport.

And no one had told her.

She sat back on her heels. There was no way she could just sit here and let all those people get killed.

She had to do something.

BOOM!

Her head swiveled around as the explosions continued. Then she scrambled to her feet and ran out of the bathroom, across the hotel room to the window.

Big flames poured from the BioZen building.

"Oh, god," she cried.

What had she done?

Is this what vampires were going to do now? Kill people? She couldn't let this happen.

She had...she had to do something to stop it.

Tears ran down her face as she realized the price she was going to pay.

She was in love with Logan.

She was sure he loved her. But he could never love her—a human murderer in her own right.

The difference between them was clear.

He was fighting his war.

She had to protect her race.

Brooklyn glanced around the room and found her packed bag. She made sure her phone was in her purse, still strapped over her body, then grabbed her bag.

And ran.

"brOOKLYN," LOGAN CALLED out, after not finding her on the bed when he returned to the room.

He had a lot to explain after teleporting with her, but he would. He would tell her everything.

Logan was going to bond with her.

She was his mate, and he was so damn proud of her for saving Isabella's life. The entire mission had been a success.

Well, except having to let the fucking Russian asshole go.

While he'd been helping the others clean up the mess and get people out of the building, which had taken a hell of a lot longer than expected, Logan had been planning their future.

He was going to mate her and knew now he had no choice.

Brooklyn was his. They were fated mates and while a human wouldn't have been his first choice a few weeks ago, now he didn't care.

Brooklyn was his.

Goddamn, he loved her.

Like many other humans, she'd be opposed to turning into a vampire, but eventually she'd accept it. Their bond would demand it of her, anyway.

Other males force it upon their humans and, if necessary, Logan would to.

Right now, Brooklyn was working on the antidote and fully immersed in their world, so there was no hurry.

"Brook," Logan called again, frowning as he peered into the bathroom.

His phone rang.

"Turn on the TV." Craig demanded without greeting.

Huh?

Logan strode back out to the main room and lifted the remote. Then stared in shock as he tried to work out what the fuck was going on.

His mate, wearing the same clothes he'd last seen her in, was speaking to the camera.

"I have proof and I will be speaking to anyone who listens. Vampires are real. They are responsible for the explosions in this building tonight."

What the fuck.

"What kind of proof?" the journalist asked, pushing the mic back toward her.

"I'm a scientist. I've been working with them. I have photos, videos, data, whatever you want," she continued.

Logan's jaw ground tightly.

The fucking traitor.

How could she do this? How could he have fallen in love with a human traitor?

Anger unlike he'd ever known brought him to his knees.

"I had no idea they were going to do this. We can't let them get away with this," she continued.

The journalist wrapped up the story and the screen went back to the newsroom.

"What do you want me to do?" Logan asked, his voice cold.

"Find her," Craig replied.

"And then?" he asked again, louder.

"Dude. She's your mate," the commander said, as if it was obvious.

"And then?!?" Logan yelled.

Tell me to kill her.

Because I will.