Page 50

AT THE BONFIRE NIGHT

The fire had dimmed, its earlier ferocity now a gentle pulse of light against the depth of night. My long dress fluttered in the slight wind as I took in the sights around me. Shifters lingered in loose clusters, the earlier vivacity of the evening having softened into low voices and occasional bursts of laughter.

Some remained in their human forms, their faces relaxed, and others as wolves, sprawled across the plateau, their tails brushing idly against one another. The mingling scents of Heraclids and Orions blended with the smoke.

I stood on the edge of the clearing, watching them. A young Heraclid boy, barely old enough to shift, darted past me, his giggle infectious as an Orion pup gave chase. It was great to see such young life, knowing that the Orions hadn’t borne a child in many, many years.

Near the fire, a newly formed couple—one from each pack—leaned into each other, the glow of the flames painting their skin with golden highlights. My wolf stirred, a quiet hum of satisfaction rolling through me. This was what we had fought for—a chance to rebuild, to heal.

Still, unease prickled at the edges of my mind. I swept my gaze across the plateau, searching for any signs of trouble. The pack bond was growing, but it was fragile—a thread weaving through the crowd, not yet a rope. My protective instincts flared at every unfamiliar movement and every nervous glance exchanged between wolves who were still learning to trust each other. The sense of responsibility I carried felt heavier in moments like this, but it also fueled me.

A gust of wind sent a brief cascade of sparks into the sky, and I found Logan standing on the other side of it, chatting easily with the enforcer, Blair.

The fire threw golden streaks across Logan’s face, accentuating the sharp planes of his jaw and the slight curl of his lips as he spoke with Blair on the other side of the plateau. He wasn’t smiling outright—he rarely did—but there was a quiet pride in his expression, a subtle lift of his brow and the way his shoulders squared.

My heart stuttered in its rhythm, and I pressed a hand to my chest. After everything we had endured—Grayson’s tyranny, the fractured bond between Heraclid and Orion, the curse that still wove through our blood like an unwelcome guest—he stood here, unshaken, unyielding.

And he was mine.

My wolf stirred, her presence filled with admiration that mirrored my own thoughts.

He’s ours, I felt her insist, and I couldn’t argue. Logan wasn’t just my mate; he was my anchor, the lifesaver that had pulled me out of despair and into the light of something new.

His hand brushed Blair’s arm as he laughed at something I couldn’t hear, the sound low and rich and entirely his. The fire danced in his eyes, amber and molten, and for a moment, the rest of the world blurred. He turned then and caught me watching him. His smile was small but unmistakably for me, a curve of lips that sent warmth flooding my body and desire pulling at my core.

You keep looking at me like that, and I’ll be across this fire before anyone notices. His voice slid into my mind through the bond, soft and rough all at once. I flushed, heat prickling my skin as his words settled low in my stomach.

Try me, I shot back as the connection between us hummed with anticipation. His eyes darkened, a flicker of the predator beneath the man.

Don’t you remember this morning? he asked, and my core was alight. Heat pooled between my legs as I definitely remembered waking him in silence as I took his cock in my mouth.

The power I felt over him in those moments made my wolf howl with satisfaction. We each took our turn being alpha between us—a back and forth rhythm that I never would have thought could work so perfectly.

But that was the beauty of having accept that we were fated mates. There was no question, we simply were.

Oh, I remember. I sent back to him through our bond. I remember feeling the hard length of you between my lips.

That’s not what I meant, he replied. I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it.

“Logan,” Blair waved his hand in front of Logan’s face, and I listened to their conversation from where I stood. “Did you hear what I said? I really think we’re going to have crowd of recruits for enforcers this year. Logan?...”

He followed Logan’s eyes to me and must have seen the hungry smile on my face.

“Ohhhh.” Blair sniggered. “In that case, we can talk about enforcers tomorrow, buddy.” He clapped Logan’s back and shoved his hands in his pockets, chuckling as he headed back toward town.

We held each other’s eyes as Logan strolled in my direction, confident and humble at once. He arrived at my side and stood alongside me, looking out over the wolves who remained.

“What do you hear?” he asked.

I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, taking in the sounds around us. A few people were laughing, a small group in deep discussion, and then I found the sound that Logan was referring to. Several sounds, in fact.

Moaning, sharp inhales, words whispered into the night that were too explicit for the day.

I looked up at Logan who wore a naughty half-smile and a glint in his eye.

“Home is a long way away, if you’re feeling feisty,” I said.

“I like it here,” he replied and took in a deep breath before sending a message through the bond to all wolves around us.

Wishing you a good night, Orion, Heraclid, and all. The time has come to clear the plateau.

While in normal times several wolves would have offered to help clean up, the tone in Logan’s command was clear—no one should hang behind.

Because Logan said it with such tenderness, despite being firm, the wolves obeyed quickly and joyfully, and within a few minutes the plateau was empty.

Except for us.

Logan didn’t waste a second. He scooped me into his arms and carried me to the side of the fire, laying me down on the plateau rock like I was the most fragile thing in the world. “You look magical with the orange glow over you. I want to see it across your whole body.”

He straddled me, one knee on either side, watching, only gently pressing into the tops of my thighs with his legs. As if I was going anywhere.

The plateau was smooth under me, and though I was aware it was cold, I felt none of it. On the contrary, I was burning hot. For him.

I undid the buttons that ran along the front of my dress and let my breasts free into the night. Logan growled, his eyes flashing, and not from the light of the fire.

“I will never get enough of the sight of you.” He caressed the sides of my face with his rough palms before trailing them down to my chest. For such a strong man, he could be so tender. He circled my nipples with the tips of his fingers before cupping my breasts and squeezing gently, teasingly. I arched my back toward him with a moan. Liquid heat was pooling between my legs, and my need was growing more and more.

“That’s my beautiful mate,” he said as he lifted himself off me and laid at my side. He ran his hand down the open front of my dress, tickling me around my belly button, and gliding his finger down lower. “So many buttons.” He tried to undo them, but growled as they fought back. I had to giggle at the sight of my alpha being bested by buttons. His frustration was mounting as his arousal grew. The scent of it filled my nostrils and lit me from the inside.

I grasped the buttons. “You want me to?—”

“No,” he growled and ripped the dress, buttons flying in every direction but all I could do was laugh and pull him on top of me.

“That’s better,” he said as he pressed his lips into mine with a desperate, claiming kiss. His erection pushed into his jeans, and I adjusted to feel it against the top of my core. He was grinding against me as I wrapped my arms around his neck to deepen our kiss.

You drive me wild, he sent me through our private bond.

You made me a promise, I sent back. And I want it so bad that my body is going to explode.

He growled and lifted himself off me just enough to look me in the eye with a hunger I knew meant that he was going to take care of me in any and all ways I desired. His wolf flashed again, submitting and wishing to dominate at once. It was the beautiful contradiction that was our love.

His hand wandered to my breast, cupping it and bringing it to his mouth. I closed my eyes and let my head rest on the stone as he lapped over and around my nipple.

“Such perfection,” he said and then sucked, offering a teasing bite that made me catch my breath. “Yes,” he rumbled into my ear. “How could I ever not worship you when you make sounds like that for me.”

He kissed between my breasts and continued lower and lower, dragging his tongue such that the cool air made goosebumps roll out over my skin despite the heat burning inside me.

“I need you, Logan…”

Not yet. He grinned from the place between my legs. This is all about you now, my oracle wolf.

He pressed his tongue at the top of my entrance, gently passing it over my clit, the sensitive spot reacting with an electricity that shot all the way up through me and I arched into him.

More, I thought at him and he growled his pleasure at my demand. He lapped faster and faster, pressing the tip of his tongue inside me and the night fell away. No more stars, no more fire, just him and me and the pleasure of his tongue. He sent me to a place I could only know with him.

My fated mate. My perfect mate.

He growled against my clit and I almost went over the top, a cry erupting from me that encouraged him to go deeper, faster, his tongue fucking me as his hand reached up to caress and squeeze my breast.

“It’s all for you, my oracle wolf.”

But I didn’t want it all for me. I wanted him.

“Climb on me,” I said, leaning onto my elbows to watch him lick. “I want your cock inside me?—”

“Not yet?—”

“NOW,” I roared with my own alpha command, the one that was reserved just for him and just for these moments when I needed to be filled by my mate.

“Those eyes,” he said and then ran his arm across his mouth. His breath was hot with my scent, but all I cared about was getting those jeans off him.

I tore at the top button, not realizing that my wolf’s strength ripped it and the zipper right open.

“I deserve that,” he said with a sly smile as he removed them, throwing them into the flames. The fabric caught fire, sending sparks into the sky. Logan lifted his shirt, revealing the ripple of abs and hard chest that glowed in the flickering orange light.

“Shut up and fuck me.” I pulled him onto me, knowing he wouldn’t deny me now.

“Whatever you command,” he growled and opened my thighs with a push. He slid inside me, my opening wet and waiting for him, and he moaned. “Perfection.” He pushed into me, reaching the spot inside that would send me over the edge.

“Harder,” I demanded, my wolf flashing, and he obeyed. His hips rolled forward and back, his chest pressing against me with each thrust, just enough to push the breath out of me. He worked me, going deep enough that he pressed into my clit, and the waves of pleasure crashed over me as I got closer and closer?—

“Yes, Eve, whatever you want. I’ll give you whatever you want.”

I looked into his eyes. “Call me Evensong.”

“Evensong,” he grunted, his wolf flashing. “My sweet Evensong.” His breath came quick now and I knew we were both riding the edge. “Evensong…”

I bucked against him, the sound of my name on his tongue too much for me to take. He sped up, reaching the place inside me again and again.

“Evensong…”

I cried out, my orgasm taking over my whole body and I grabbed his back, sinking my nails in. My pussy contracted around him, and I felt his orgasm explode into me. Hot, wet, pulsing against my insides. He moaned, his forehead pressing into mine as we rode our pleasure to its end.

When all that was left was the sound of our breaths, hot and fast, he wound his arm under my head and rolled to my side. He pulled me close and kissed me from my ear to my cheek to the side of my lips.

All I could do was smile.

The fire, the night sky, the wolves howling in the distance. This was our world, our home, our family.

I turned my head to look him in the eyes, wanting to say something that would share the beauty of all I saw in that moment. But in those eyes, all I saw was love. Massive, consuming, forever love.

And it took my breath away.

Thank you so much for reading this bonus scene of Logan and Eve! The good news is that their story continues in the series, no need to say goodbye! So let’s head straight into Book 2:

Rhys and Sable’s near-fatal sparks start flying in…

THE FATED HUNTER WOLF!

I pushed her away. Fate pushed back. Now her secrets might kill us both.

Sable is everything I should avoid—elusive, sharp-tongued, and dangerous enough to unravel what I’ve fought to rebuild. This wretched and unwelcome bond between us burns hot, unrelenting and all-consuming.

But she doesn’t want it.

And I don’t trust it.

Because the second I touched her, I saw my lost brothers. Trapped, hollow, haunted by the curse that’s been bleeding my family dry for generations. She knows more than she’s saying—about the curse, about my brothers, about why she can’t seem to stay away even when she keeps trying to run.

So, I do the only thing I can. I reject her.

But my wolf doesn’t care about logic or loyalty. And he won’t shut up.

Possess her. Command her. Claim her.