Page 31 of Marked For A Bite (Rebellious Mates #2)

TWENTY-FIVE

ZOE

T wenty-five years. Twenty-five years of torture and experiments while my mother slowly died of a broken heart. How many others have suffered because of the Council's corruption?

Logan's warm hand settled on her shoulder, a steadying presence that pulled her back from the violent edge her thoughts had spiraled toward. Through their newly completed mate bond, she felt his concern washing over her like a cooling balm.

"Hey," Logan said, his voice carrying that commanding undertone that never failed to center her spinning emotions. "You're getting worked up. Your father needs rest, and brooding about revenge won't help anyone right now."

Zoe took a shaky breath, forcing her wolf to settle as Logan's practical wisdom cut through her fury. Her father did look exhausted, the emotional reunion taking its toll on his weakened system.

"You're right." She squeezed her father's hand. "We should get you somewhere safe where you can actually recover."

"We'll take him back to my cabin," Logan offered, his mind already shifting into protection mode. "It's fortified, secure, and close enough to the safehouse that we can coordinate with the others."

Her father shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I don't want to be a burden."

"Any family of my mate's is my responsibility too," Logan said with that iron-clad certainty. "You're under my protection now."

Something passed between her father and Logan in that moment—a recognition between two warriors who understood the sacred nature of protecting what mattered. Her father's blue eyes studied Logan with respect.

"I can see why she chose you," her father said quietly.

"Come on, Dad." Zoe stood and offered him her arm for support. "Let's get you somewhere you can actually heal."

The drive back to Logan's cabin passed in comfortable silence, her father's presence in the backseat feeling both surreal and absolutely right. My father is alive. I have my father back. The thoughts kept circling through her mind like a mantra.

Logan's cabin soon welcomed them with its fortress-like security and warm interior lighting. Her mate immediately went about preparing the small spare room that had apparently sat empty.

"I've got a cot stored in the garage," Logan said, already moving with his characteristic efficiency. "I'll set it up for tonight and get you a proper bed soon."

"This is more than enough," her father insisted as Logan returned with the folding cot. "I'm just grateful to be somewhere safe with my daughter."

And I'm grateful he's alive and free and here.

Zoe watched Logan set up the small room with military precision, every movement economical and purposeful. Even performing mundane tasks, he radiated that controlled power that made her heart race.

"Goodnight, Dad," she said softly, kissing his cheek after Logan finished. "Rest well."

"Sweet dreams, baby girl."

In Logan's bedroom, Zoe tried to process the emotional whirlwind of the past hour while she took off her leather harness and clothes. Her eyes still felt swollen from crying, and her heart still ached thinking about her mother's final moments.

Mom died thinking Dad was gone forever. The exact moment his heart stopped during that brutal experiment, hers probably did too.

"I can feel you spiraling," Logan said, pulling back the covers with deliberate care. His green eyes, more golden than usual in the lamplight, studied her face. "Talk to me."

Zoe slipped between the sheets, immediately seeking the comfort of his warmth. "I keep thinking about that mate bond between them. How powerful it must have been. When they stopped his heart, she felt him die and couldn't survive it."

Logan gathered her against his chest, his strong arms creating a protective cocoon around her smaller frame. "The mate bond is the strongest connection two souls can share. What they experienced... I can't even imagine."

But I can imagine it now. If something happened to Logan, if I felt him die through our bond...

A shiver ran through her body at the thought.

"Everything happens for a reason," Logan murmured against her hair, his voice carrying that quiet conviction that always steadied her.

"Focus on having your father now. Honor your mother's memory by helping this rebellion succeed and finding out which corrupt Council elder orchestrated all this suffering. "

"I'm going to personally kill them," Zoe said, surprising herself with the cold certainty in her voice. "Whoever ordered those experiments, whoever separated my family—I want to watch the life leave their eyes."

Logan's arms tightened around her. "We'll take them down together. All of us. But first, we need intelligence, strategy, and patience."

Patience. Not exactly my strong suit.

"I want to see Rhea tomorrow," Zoe decided. "Fill her in on everything we learned and see if she has any other wisdom about the prophecy or the Council."

"Good idea. She might have insights about your healing abilities too."

The ancient bloodline. That must refer to Dad's mother's healing magic. And the tragic circumstances must be my parents' love story—forced apart by the Council's cruel laws.

Everything from the Lunar Prophecy finally made sense. She truly was the second part, the one whose special abilities would be enhanced by her fated mate's power. Together, they would help bridge the gap between worlds that had been artificially created three centuries ago.

We're going to tear down everything that kept families like mine apart.

Sleep finally claimed her in Logan's protective embrace, her dreams filled with visions of a beautiful woman with warm brown eyes and a bright smile—her mother, Patricia.

"I'm so happy you found him," her mother said in the dream, her voice carrying the same musical quality Zoe remembered from childhood lullabies. "And that you found your other half too. Love them both fiercely, my darling. Fight for the future you all deserve."

I will, Mom. I promise.

The autumn morning air carried the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves as Zoe settled into the passenger seat of Logan's Jeep, her newly completed mate mark still tender beneath her cream sweater's collar.

The bite had healed overnight, but the permanent scar served as a constant reminder of their bond—and the miraculous healing power that had saved Logan's life.

I can still feel the energy that flowed through me last night. Like touching lightning and somehow not getting burned.

Logan navigated the winding forest roads with practiced ease, though Zoe caught the occasional protective glance he threw her way.

"Do you really think we should be revealing all your special abilities? I feel like that might be putting a bigger target on your back." Logan said, his voice tinged with concern.

In the backseat, her father shifted uncomfortably. Even after a night of solid rest, he looked fragile compared to the strong man in her photograph. Twenty-five years of experimentation had taken their toll.

"She needs guidance," her father said quietly. "Rhea has knowledge about bloodlines that could help Zoe understand what she's capable of."

And what the Council wants from me.

They reached Rhea's secluded hut as morning sunlight filtered down through the canopy above. Lena was already waiting, the ancient scroll secured in her leather pouch, and her violet eyes bright with anticipation.

"Jared Raymond." Rhea's voice carried wonder as she emerged from her hut, her ancient violet eyes immediately locking onto Zoe's father. "I can sense the power radiating from you even from here."

Jared struggled to his feet, still weak from his ordeal. "Rhea Moonwhisper. Your reputation reaches even into the deepest dungeons."

The way she looks at him—like she's seeing something the rest of us can't.

"Your healing abilities are extraordinary," Rhea continued, circling Zoe's father with obvious fascination. "Stronger than anything I've encountered in three centuries of life."

"Speaking of healing abilities," Zoe interjected, stepping closer to Logan's protective presence, "I manifested some of my own last night."

Rhea's attention snapped to her instantly. "I sensed it the moment you stepped out into the clearing. The magic practically hums around you." Her gaze shifted between Zoe and Zoe's father. "Ancient bloodlines. This explains so much about the prophecy."

"The ancient bloodlines mentioned in the scroll," Zoe's father confirmed, his voice growing stronger.

"They refer to the unique human-shifter bonds that existed before the Severance three centuries ago.

Some bloodlines can harbor unique abilities—specifically magical powers in hybrids born from those ancient matings. "

Logan's hand found Zoe's lower back, a possessive touch that sent warmth racing through their bond. "And that's why the Council wants her dead."

"I believe certain members of the Council have been trying to harness or limit these bloodlines for centuries," Zoe's father continued. "That's why I was experimented on. That's why they may want Zoe dead so desperately."

The protective fury that rolled off Logan was almost tangible. "That's not going to happen. Ever."

God, I love how fierce he gets when it comes to protecting me.

"There's something else," Rhea said suddenly, her violet eyes focusing on Logan with unsettling intensity. "Something about you, Logan Cross. May I?"

She extended her weathered hand toward him, and Zoe felt Logan's immediate resistance through their bond.

"I don't like people poking around in my head," Logan said bluntly.

"It's not about your thoughts," Rhea assured him. "It's about the shadows surrounding your past. The truth you've been seeking."

Zoe placed her hand on Logan's arm, feeling the tension coiled in his muscles. "Maybe she can help. Maybe she can give you the answers you've been looking for."

Logan's jaw worked for a long moment before he finally extended his hand. "Fine."

The moment Rhea's fingers touched his skin, her entire body went still. Her eyes rolled back, and when she spoke, her voice carried the otherworldly quality of prophecy.

"Betrayal within the Council itself," she whispered. "Your father—Beta of Silvercrest—discovered evidence of corruption. He was going to present it to Alpha Alaric the morning after... but someone learned of his intentions."

Logan went deadly still. "What evidence?"

"Financial records. Communications with human operatives. Plans to eliminate hybrids." Rhea's voice grew stronger. "Your father was silenced to protect these secrets. Your family was murdered to send a message."

The rage that exploded through Logan was so intense that Zoe actually stepped back. His green eyes blazed with golden fury, and she could feel his wolf clawing to get out.

"Which Council elder?" Logan's voice was barely human.

"The vision isn't clear on that," Rhea admitted, releasing his hand. "But you were meant to escape that night, Logan. You were meant to survive to carry out your father's mission."

"Vengeance," Logan said, the word dripping with lethal promise. "Whoever gave that order is going to pay for every drop of my family's blood."

And there's the dangerous man I fell in love with. Beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.

Logan's phone appeared in his hand in an instant, his jaw set with that dangerous determination Zoe had learned meant business. The autumn morning air crackled with tension as he stepped away from Rhea's weathered hut, his broad shoulders rigid beneath his dark henley.

"Kieran," Logan's deep voice held absolute authority the moment the call connected. "I'm stepping down as Silvercrest's top enforcer. Effective immediately."

Zoe felt her eyebrows shoot up, shock rippling through their completed mate bond. He's what now?

"No, this isn't negotiable," Logan continued, his eyes blazing with golden fury as he paced. "I'm turning my focus to the Moonfire Rebellion. Training their forces and building resistance capabilities. The closer we get to exposing the Council's corruption, the more desperate they'll become."

He's choosing the rebellion over his pack duties. For me. For us. For his family.

The protective possessiveness that rolled off Logan through their bond made her pulse quicken. Even watching him make tactical decisions was ridiculously attractive—the way his mind worked like a weapon, precise and lethal.

"They'll send more human operatives," Logan said, his voice dropping to that deadly quiet tone that made her wolf preen with arousal. "Probably mercenaries this time. The rebels need to be ready for war, and I'm the best qualified to prepare them."

Zoe's father stepped closer, his weakened frame still radiating approval. "Smart strategic move. The rebellion needs someone with his and your skill set."

Logan's eyes found hers as Kieran's voice carried through the phone speaker, unintelligible but clearly approving.

"Exactly," Logan said to whatever Kieran had proposed. "Zoe and I together—the power couple from the prophecy. We'll lead the charge on exposing whoever orchestrated the experimentation programs and my family's murder."

Power couple. I love the sound of that coming from his mouth.

"The rebellion's been too scattered," Logan continued, his tactical mind clearly spinning plans. "Too reactive. Time to get proactive. Time to take the fight to them before they eliminate any more hybrids or destroy any more families."

The raw conviction in his voice sent heat flooding through her veins. This was Logan at his most dangerous—and most irresistible. Pure alpha male focused on protecting what was his.

"We'll coordinate with you and Maya," Logan concluded. "But the rebellion is our primary focus now. The Council's about to learn what happens when you mess with the wrong bloodlines."

Three centuries of separation ends now.