Page 15 of Marked For A Bite (Rebellious Mates #2)

TWELVE

LOGAN

L ogan pulled out his phone as the early evening light filtered through the reinforced windows of his cabin, casting long shadows across the living room.

The partial mate mark on Zoe's neck caught the golden light, and his wolf stirred possessively at the sight.

She was his—almost completely his—and soon he would officially claim her.

But Logan's tactical mind kicked into high gear as he dialed Kieran's number. First, they had bigger problems to solve.

"Kieran," Logan said when his Alpha picked up on the second ring. "We need to meet. There are things about Zoe and the High Council that you need to know."

"How urgent?" Kieran's voice carried the weight of leadership, even through the phone.

Logan's eyes found Zoe where she sat on his leather couch. The trust in her hazel eyes when she looked at him still caught him off guard—no one had looked at him like that in fifteen years. "Extremely."

"My cabin then. Maya's been wanting to talk to Zoe anyway, and Lena has some theories about hybrids she wants to discuss." There was a pause, then Kieran's voice warmed slightly. "We'll make it a dinner. Time you properly introduced your mate."

Heat flared in Logan's chest at Kieran's casual acceptance of what was between Logan and Zoe. Maya must've told Kieran that Zoe was Logan's mate.

"We'll be there soon," Logan said, then ended the call.

Zoe looked up from where she'd been examining her wrist—her crescent moon birthmark that had been glowing faintly since her first shift earlier today. "What did he say?"

"Dinner invitation. They want to meet you properly." Logan moved to the window, scanning the treeline with practiced efficiency. "But we're going on foot. My Jeep's been compromised—those hunters know what I drive now."

"Smart." Zoe stood up and moved to where I'd put her tennis shoes by the front door. "How far is it?"

"Three miles through pack territory." Logan pulled on his combat boots and then grabbed some of his knives, concealing them against his body. "Good opportunity for me to teach you territory navigation."

They stepped outside into the crisp autumn evening, and Logan activated his cabin's security system with quick, precise movements.

The fortress he'd built around himself had become their sanctuary now, but he knew it was probably temporary unfortunately.

Whatever was coming next would require them to be mobile and adaptable.

"Use your nose," Logan instructed as they set off into the forest. "What do you smell?"

Zoe closed her eyes for a moment, her face tilting toward the breeze.

When she opened them again, there was wonder in her expression.

"Everything's so much stronger now. The pine, the earth, something musky that might be deer.

.." She paused, concentrating. "And something else. Something that feels like... home?"

"Pack scent markers," Logan confirmed, pride swelling in his chest at how quickly she was adapting. "Every wolf shifter leaves traces. Your wolf recognizes pack territory now."

"I used to be a Girl Scout," Zoe said, stepping easily over a fallen log. "Nature always fascinated me, especially wolves. I thought it was just because they're beautiful and intelligent, but now..."

"Now you know why." Logan's hand found her lower back as they navigated a steep section of trail. Even through her sweater, the contact sent jolts of electricity through him. "Your wolf was always there, guiding your interests."

"That explains so much." Zoe's voice held a note of amazement.

"At Columbia, when I was studying art history and anthropology, I kept gravitating toward Pacific Northwest indigenous cultures.

They revered wolves in a way that other cultures didn't, and I could never understand why I felt so connected to their artwork and stories. "

Logan's steps faltered slightly. "You studied indigenous Pacific Northwest culture?"

"Obsessively." Zoe's laugh held a note of self-deprecation. "My professors thought I was limiting my research scope too much, but I couldn't help myself. The connection felt... ancestral."

"Because it was." Logan's voice carried quiet reverence. "Those weren't just indigenous human cultures, Zoe. They were our kind—wolf shifters who lived openly alongside humans before the Severance three centuries ago."

Zoe stopped walking entirely, her eyes wide. "The museum exhibit I spent months preparing—the one where I attacked that art critic..."

"You were defending your heritage without even knowing it," Logan finished, unable to suppress a grin. "Your wolf recognized the disrespect to our ancestors and reacted accordingly. Fierce little thing, isn't she?"

"Is that why I got so angry? When he criticized the wolf imagery and called it 'primitive'?" Zoe's hand unconsciously moved to her throat, her fingers tracing the partial mark there. "I felt like he was attacking something sacred."

"Because he was."

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, the forest alive around them with sounds only they could properly hear.

He found himself constantly aware of Zoe's presence beside him—the rhythm of her breathing, the confident way she moved through terrain that would challenge most humans, and the subtle changes in her scent as different emotions flickered through her.

The partial bond between them hummed with contentment as they moved together through his territory. This was what he'd never allowed himself to imagine—having someone to share this with, someone who belonged in his world as much as he did.

As Kieran's cabin came into view through the trees, Logan felt Zoe's nervous energy spike through their connection.

"They're going to love you," he said, catching her elbow gently. "Maya's a hybrid herself, and Kieran..." Logan paused, searching for the right words. "He's not like the Alphas who came before him. He sees potential where others see threat."

"What about Lena?"

"She's the pack healer and possibly the smartest person I know. If anyone can help you understand your hybrid nature, it's her."

Zoe nodded, but Logan could feel her anxiety through their bond. He stopped walking and turned her to face him, his hands framing her face as warm light spilled from the windows of Kieran's cabin ahead.

"Just be yourself," he said, his thumb brushing over her lower lip. "The same fierce, stubborn, brilliant woman who decided to trust a dangerous stranger and follow him into a world she didn't understand."

"The same woman who killed for you within an hour of meeting you," Zoe added quietly.

"The same woman who's brave enough to love a monster like me." Logan's voice came out rough, thick with emotions he was still learning to acknowledge.

Zoe's smile was soft and fierce at once. "You're not a monster, Logan Cross. You're mine."

The possessive way she said it sent heat through him, and Logan had to fight the urge to press her against the nearest tree and finish what they'd started back at his cabin. Instead, he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss that was both a promise and a claim.

When they broke apart, Logan's fingers traced the partial mark on her neck one more time, his wolf humming at the sight of his claim on her skin.

"Ready?" he asked, though he could have stood there kissing her until dawn.

Zoe straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin with the fierce determination he was learning to adore. "Ready."

Logan guided Zoe up the wooden porch steps of Kieran's cabin, the autumn night air crisp against his skin. The warm glow spilling from the windows promised sanctuary, but Logan remained alert.

He knocked once, a sharp rap that announced their arrival without seeming urgent. Maya opened the door almost immediately, her copper-red hair gleaming in the light as she smiled warmly at them both.

"Logan, Zoe—please, come in." Maya's greeting held genuine warmth as she stepped aside to usher them into the cabin's welcoming interior.

Logan felt Zoe's nervous energy through their bond as they entered, but Maya seemed to sense her anxiety immediately. The hybrid Luna approached Zoe with the kind of intuitive grace that came from understanding what it felt like to be caught between two worlds.

"I'm so glad we finally get to meet properly," Maya said, pulling Zoe into a gentle hug. "Welcome to our home, and to pack territory."

Logan watched Zoe's shoulders relax at Maya's touch. The bond between hybrids seemed to transcend mere understanding—it was recognition on a cellular level.

The dining room table had been set with care, candles casting dancing shadows across the polished wood. Kieran sat at the head, his silver-blue eyes assessing but not cold, while Lena occupied a chair to his right, her unusual violet eyes bright with curiosity as they took in Zoe's appearance.

"Lena Nightshade, our pack healer," Kieran said by way of introduction as Logan pulled out Zoe's chair. "She's the one who first sensed your manifestation."

Logan settled into the seat beside Zoe, hyperaware of her presence and the way her scent had changed subtly since he'd partially marked her. His wolf preened at the evidence of his claim, even as his logical mind cataloged potential threats and escape routes—an old habit.

The first few minutes passed pleasantly enough.

Maya served a hearty stew that filled the cabin with rich aromas, and conversation flowed around pack dynamics and Zoe's adjustment to wolf shifter life.

Logan found himself relaxing slightly as he watched Zoe engage with Maya, their shared hybrid nature creating an instant connection that eased some of his protective instincts.

But Kieran's Alpha nature wouldn't let social pleasantries continue indefinitely.

"Logan," he said, setting down his spoon with deliberate precision. "You mentioned something being extremely urgent when you called."

Logan's jaw clenched as he felt the weight of everyone's attention shift to him. Through their bond, he sensed Zoe's sudden spike of anxiety—she knew what he was about to reveal would change everything.

"The High Council contacted me yesterday morning before you gave me the extraction mission," Logan began. "Elder Thorne specifically. They wanted me to eliminate a human in Portland."

Maya's spoon clattered against her bowl. "They what?"

"I refused the mission," Logan continued, his hand finding Zoe's under the table. Her fingers were cold, and he squeezed gently. "But when I went to punch in the address you gave me into my Jeep's GPS, I realized it was the same location the Council had targeted."

Kieran's eyes darkened, his Alpha power radiating controlled fury. "You didn't think to mention this connection?"

"I was too focused on getting to her." Logan's voice carried a defensive edge that surprised him—he rarely explained himself to anyone. "By the time I put all the pieces together, we were already under attack in Zoe's house."

"They were human hunters that the High Council sent," Zoe said quietly, her voice steady. "They were going to kill me in my own home."

Lena leaned forward, her violet eyes sharp with interest. "How did you confirm the Council's involvement?"

"Elder Callum." Logan watched Kieran's expression darken further.

"He called me late last night, sounding desperate and nervous.

When I asked him why he was calling me, he revealed that Elder Thorne had dispatched human hunters to Portland after I refused the mission.

When I pressed him on why that mattered to me, he said the human hunters were found killed in Zoe Raymond's home and Zoe Raymond was missing.

The whole call seemed off. He seemed... terrified. Like he was being watched."

"Callum didn't tell me any of this," Kieran said, his deep voice carrying dangerous undertones. "We spoke just this morning about pack business, and he didn't mention anything about Council operations against hybrids."

"Maybe he couldn't," Maya interjected, her analytical mind clearly working through possibilities.

"If there is a rift within the Council because of shifter laws and ideals, and one side is taking extreme measures to protect them while intimidating the other side who's trying to change them, then. .."

"Then we have a much bigger problem than we thought," Logan finished grimly.

He turned to face Kieran directly, his enforcer mask slipping to reveal raw determination.

"This isn't just about Zoe anymore, though she's clearly their primary target right now.

They're hunting hybrids systematically for some reason. "

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as the implications settled over the group. Logan felt Zoe's fear spike through their mate bond, and his wolf snarled internally at the threat to his mate.

"Maya," Kieran said, reaching for his wife's hand. "You're still in danger too."

"We both are," Zoe added, her voice gaining strength as she processed the situation. "But why? What makes us such a threat?"

Logan's protective instincts spiked as he watched his mate face the reality that powerful enemies wanted her dead simply for existing.

"I'm done following Council orders," Logan declared, his voice holding the weight of a vow. "Effective immediately, my loyalty belongs to this pack alone. And to her." His hand tightened on Zoe's as he met Kieran's gaze. "Zoe is my fated mate, and I won't let anyone harm her while I draw breath."

"I support that decision completely," Kieran said without hesitation. "The Council can answer to me if they have issues with your new priorities."

Maya nodded firmly. "We protect our own. All of us."

Logan felt something fundamental shift within him as he looked around the table at these faces—not just his Alpha and Luna, but his pack family. For the first time in ten years, he wasn't facing a threat alone.

"We need to move fast," Logan continued, his tactical mind engaging fully. "If they're tracking hybrids, they won't stop with Zoe. There could be others out there, completely unaware of the danger."

"Then we find them first," Kieran decided, his Alpha authority settling over the room like a protective mantle. "And we get to the bottom of this corruption before anyone else dies."