CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

L ogan walked into the operations room, his now permanent scowl front and center.

"Mate"—Mack slapped him on the shoulder— "you doing okay?"

He sat down at a desk and shook his head. "Can't find her. The feds must be protecting her."

After seeing Brooklyn on the newscast, he'd stayed behind in Seattle while the others had returned to Maine. His orders were to bring her home.

He'd failed.

It was likely the feds had destroyed her phone, as even that was untraceable.

"You'll get her back," Mack said.

His eyes shot up. "I don't want her back. I want her dead."

The government was right to protect her. Many vampires would want her dead, even if the king had shared an announcement with everyone saying this time they were not going to counter it with a fake-news campaign.

He had accepted it.

Shockwaves were vibrating around the world among humans and vampires.

Every news channel was airing it twenty-four seven. Brooklyn had been interviewed a dozen times, sharing information.

The betrayal was enormous.

He couldn't hate another being more than he did her right now.

Mack's brows shot up. "What? Dude, I heard you mated."

So fucking what?

Brooklyn's actions had changed their race forever. For what purpose? Because she wanted to protect scientists who had kidnapped and tortured vampires?

Well, fuck that.

Logan was furious with himself for not trusting his instincts, knowing she was a traitor. Actually, she didn't even deserve that title. A traitor was someone you trusted.

Who belonged.

She didn't.

So fuck her.

"We didn't bond." Logan's voice sounded cold and dead, even to him. "A lucky escape."

The hybrid tilted his head and when it looked like he was going to say more, the room began filling with senior warriors. A second later, Brayden, Ari, and Vincent strode down the middle of the room and faced everyone.

Around him boots shuffled, solid arms crossed big ass chests, and determined eyes focused on the Moretti royal family.

"Warriors," the king said. "You are the force of this race, and I thank you for constantly putting your life at risk for the safety of my family."

Jeez.

That hit hard inside Logan's chest.

A few of them cleared their throats.

"I echo that. Thank you to all of you for helping me get Willow and our daughter home," Brayden said, his hands firmly on his hips. "They are both fine physically and recovering quietly in the royal wing."

Murmurs of thank fuck were heard around him.

"Sage and the team are working on the test antidote now that we have a sample of it, so we should get some fast results," Ari said.

The sooner the better.

"And to confront the elephant in the room," Vincent said. "I know we're in a state of chaos after being exposed, but as I shared in my announcement, the time has come. Staying hidden has taken up way too much fucking energy."

Hearing the king say this after a lifetime of being told to keep their true identity in the shadows still sounded weird.

Not that they were, as a race, officially talking to anyone publicly yet. It was all hearsay.

By Brooklyn the Traitor.

"Remain vigilant as we work out how to handle this with world leaders," Vincent told them. "The priority more than ever now is destroying the last of the serum production facilities."

The idea of every human being armed with it was fucking terrifying. It was not even worth contemplating, and yet they were closer to that happening than ever before.

"Brooklyn has kept information about the toxic solution to herself to protect us," Vincent said. "I assume."

Logan snorted angrily and shook his head as he stared at his boots. No, she fucking hadn't. Were they joking right now?

Around him, everyone remained silent.

He lifted his head.

"What?" he snapped. "She is probably saving it for Kimmel or something. Don't give her any undue credit."

"Harsh, man." Alex shook his head.

"You agree with what she did?" He snapped at the vampire.

"No. But she was obviously scared. We set explosives in a building and killed her former colleagues," Alex stated. "Maybe we shouldn't have left her unguarded."

His brows shot up and he stood. "You mean me. I shouldn't have left her alone. So this is my fucking fault?" His voice a dark growl.

"No one is saying that." Ari's deep voice a warning from across the room. "Logan, walk it off. You are too coiled to sit through this meeting."

He glared at the ancient vampire, but there was no breaching the male's barriers. Ari simply held his gaze calmly but with a strength few possessed.

Cursing, Logan reached for his phone and strode out of the room.

The door slammed behind him, providing a little satisfaction.

He teleported back to his room and got changed, then headed outside for a run. Ten circuits later, he reached the edge of the lake which was located on the castle grounds and leaned over, puffing, his hands on his knees.

How could she do this?

"Fuck you, Brook. Fuck you," he screamed into the cool night air.

But the truth smacked him in the face.

Logan loved her.

He could feel their bond tugging at him. He could feel a hint of her emotions. The guilt. The sadness. The heartache.

It might just be an echo, but he felt it.

As she would feel his.

She wouldn't understand it unless she'd studied their bonding process as part of her education into the race. Hell, she was probably going to share that, too.

Logan hadn't lied to Mack. He and Brooklyn had not bonded. He could go on living, but with the knowledge that she was it for him in this life.

She was his mate.

There would be no other.

He would be alone for the remainder of his semi-immortal life.

All because she hadn't trusted him. She had betrayed all of them, believing they'd rage war on the human race.

After everything he'd told her. After living among them and learning all she did.

Alex was right. He should never have left her alone. He'd been tasked with taking her back to the hotel and then left her there.

Trusted her.

As he had with his heart.

He roared her anger into the night once more. Then stripped off his clothes and dived into the crisp cool water.

After more laps than he could count, Logan climbed out and collapsed onto the wet grass.

Vincent Moretti might be okay with the race being exposed, but Logan wasn't. He had seen up close the evil humans were capable of.

The future.

It was unknown.

It was terrifying.

Not so much for him, but for the ten million vampires on the planet who couldn't protect themselves.

They had to get the distribution of the serum eliminated. Nikolay had to die.

Logan sat up and draped his arms over his knees.

What was Brooklyn doing right now? Was she thinking about him? Did she miss him? Regret what she'd done, or not give a damn?

Her beautiful fucking smile with those rosy cheeks appeared in his mind and he shook his head. If only she'd stayed put in the hotel room. Right now he could be balls deep inside her, watching her squirm as her orgasm rolled through her.

He could be bonding with her.

Claiming her.

Planning their lives together.

Instead, she fucked it all up.

He reached for his clothes and his phone fell onto the grass. Swiping it open, he searched for their last text messages and scrolled. The same heaviness inside his chest fighting to hate her while he also loved her.

Nature.

He had no choice.

He would love her forever, no matter what she did.

Logan slipped on his clothes and tugged his phone into his back pocket, then slowly made his way back to the castle.

When the familiar beep sounded out, he froze.

Without looking, he knew who it was.

Logan rubbed his jaw and swallowed, then pulled the phone out.

Sorry.

You will be, sweetheart. Because now I can get our tech geniuses to trace you.

"Enjoy your last few days alive, Brooklyn. Never betray an assassin," he growled, then stalked back to the castle.