Page 29

L ogan had been standing motionless for an hour in front of the monster, keeping its focus despite the helicopter being long gone.

The children were all out, on their way to Seattle under the guardianship of the few parents who had forms small enough to go as well, and the bird shifters who had opted to leave and assist. The decision had made everyone nervous, knowing Logan wasn’t confident she could keep protecting them, but it had to be done.

“Come inside,” I said softly.

Her skin was a canvas of symbols. Some I recognized, some from languages probably long dead I’d never seen before.

Logan’s eyes glowed when she turned toward me. “Are they safe?”

“Yes. We’re down to about half capacity now. All the children will stay in Seattle until we tell them otherwise.”

“Do more want to leave?”

“Maybe. Seattle can’t take more, though. We need to get into contact with other nests, ones that we know are safe.”

“What about the one Shakti’s family is building in Colorado?”

“We can ask about it,” I promised. My instinct was to scoop her up and carry her inside, but I didn’t want to ruin the work Shakti had put in to help Logan. Instead, I asked again, “Come inside.”

Logan nodded slowly, turning briefly to the monster. “Your quarrel is with me . I’m not going anywhere.”

It still clung to the warding with its dark tendrils, but it wasn’t shrieking.

Had it developed some sense of patience in all the time it had been waiting for her?

Maybe it was at least partially content drinking down her magic as it tried to eat through the wards.

She had certainly been keeping it well fed.

Logan slipped her fingers into mine, mindful of the designs on the back of her hand. She shivered. “It’s fucking cold out here with no clothes.”

“We’ll get you something warm to drink. I would suggest a shower, but…”

“Shakti might murder me,” Logan said with a laugh. “She wants me to go as long as I can without touching it. I don’t think I’ll make it to the twelve hour mark, but I’m going to try.”

The remaining nest residents looked at her curiously, eyes dancing over her bare, decorated skin.

Yelena approached, quickly finding a few empty spots to lay her fingertips and give Logan a kiss, as if she needed to reassure herself our fated mate was safe. “Your skin is like ice, precious.”

The two of us led her straight to the kitchen.

Estrella looked up, fetching a cup and pouring a concoction from the stove into it, adding a dollop of thick whipped cream on top before passing it to Logan.

“French-style hot chocolate. You could probably stand a spoon up in it, but I assume you’ll need the calories. ”

“Thank you.” Logan took a sip, humming happily. “Gods, so good.”

Estrella noticed the question in my eyes. “I saw her out there. I’m not letting one of our Protectors get hypothermia.”

The others burst in after us, Seth, Haru, Velda, and Kendrick. They all paused when I held up my hand to block them. “No one can touch her until the henna has a chance to fully set.”

Velda pouted. “Unfair.”

“What happens now?” Logan asked.

“You need to rest,” I told her.

“But don’t we need to get everyone else out?”

“We’re working on that,” Velda promised. “Shakti is already on the phone with her cousins to see how prepared their nest is to host.”

“The pilot said he’ll come back when we need him,” Kendrick told us.

Logan sniffled, lacing one of her hands into mine. “I hate that they have to leave. I wish I could guarantee they’d be safe here. It’s all my fault.”

“ Stop ,” Kendrick demanded. “I know what I said when you got here, and I’m rescinding all of it.

You’re here because you’re supposed to be.

It’s no business of ours to tell fate it’s doing things wrong.

You have protected the people here, have been protecting them from the start, even when you didn’t owe them a damn thing. ”

“He’s right,” Estrella added. I hadn’t expected her to make a peep. She rarely did unless it was to snap at someone doing something wrong. “The few residents who blamed you at the start have since changed their perspective. They know you care. They know you’re doing your best.”

“Really?” Logan sniffled again and took another sip of her hot chocolate. “I’m trying so hard and I never know if I’m actually making the progress I need to.”

I kissed her temple, careful not to press my chest to her arm. “Not a single person here can deny you’ve been trying.”

She nodded slowly, taking another drink. “I feel like I could sleep for a year and I’m not even allowed to sit down.”

“I could still take you to the nest,” I offered. “The quiet might help, connecting to the earth where it’s a bit warmer.”

“Please.” She looked at the others. “Is it okay if I spend some quiet time with Caden?”

“Of course it is, precious,” Yelena insisted. “Let us know when you’re ready for company.”

I led Logan away, fighting every instinct to wrap myself around her. When we reached the basement and she stepped onto the dirt floor around the warding, she asked quietly, “Do you really think I can do this?”

“You’ve grown an extraordinary amount in such a short time, and I think I’m in a unique position to say that.

You might have bonds with Yelena and Seth, but no one knows you the way I do.

” I threaded my fingers into her hair and kissed her softly, my sweet omega rising on her toes.

“You are so much stronger than you think, so much braver than any of us deserve.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“That’s not true.” I sighed, brushing my lips over hers once more. “You’d have done it a lot sooner without me.”

Logan shook her head. “There is no without you . You’re my foundation. I would’ve collapsed a thousand times if you weren’t there to hold me up.”

“All your lovers could’ve been yours years ago if I’d pulled my head out of my ass.”

“Maybe it’s okay that they weren’t until now. Maybe you weren’t the only one who had to grow into the idea.” She kissed me again until her jasmine sweetness filled the air, her skin heating against my fingertips still laced in her hair. “I love you so much.”

I love you . Loath to move my mouth from hers, I simply didn’t, indulging myself in the small bit of her I was allowed to touch. My Logan. My omega. I’m always going to be here for you.

Her hands burned against my chest, nails digging in as she whimpered into my mouth. My alpha. I want you to bite me so badly.

I can’t.

There was no world in which I could expose her to Rachel. That was the last resort I wasn’t willing to entertain no matter how much my fangs ached to make Logan mine in all ways.

Logan gasped, pulling away, staring down at the tendrils of smoke where her slick had dripped down her thighs and met one of the symbols. The henna disintegrated like ash, leaving a shiny gold script behind.

“That’s not what color henna is supposed to be,” she said curiously.

I dropped to my knees, running a fingertip over the mark. “Looks like it’s sticking, though.”

“My magic isn’t going to turn it into some weird permanent thing, is it?”

“Hard to say. It would be a solution to keeping your magic under control if it works, but I can understand not wanting to be head to toe in markings long term.”

“Do you think Shakti will be mad I managed to spoil her work?”

I laughed softly, rising back up to meet Logan’s gaze. “I would imagine she expected it to happen. Hard enough to avoid when it’s contained to one spot, let alone when it covers your whole body.”

“If it wasn’t for such an important purpose, I would let you ruin all of it in the nest right now.” Logan huffed.

“If you want to play to center yourself, I’m sure we could manage something without smearing the henna.”

“I want to play to connect with you. We haven’t had enough time together since coming here and I miss you.”

I shouldn’t have been nearly as surprised as I was.

Having years as Logan’s only partner had spoiled me.

Now she had so many of us I almost forgot that she could miss me.

My sweet omega had more attention than she knew what to do with.

Maybe part of me assumed I was replaceable, or at the very least that the others would fill the gaps enough she might not notice, but she had.

Even with all the changes and chaos, Logan had done her best to continue reaching back for me while she charged ahead.

Her time was a commodity we had to share, but her love? She had more than enough to spare.

About time you understood. The voice echoed into my bones, sliding over me like cool water, the hint of teasing and affection alleviating the nervousness that always came when the goddess spoke directly to me.

I might learn slowly about some things, but I do eventually learn.

You do. I’m proud of you. The difficult part of this isn’t over yet, but you’re far enough down this path now for me to say so. Trust your heart, and trust hers.

Hecate’s presence vanished as quickly as it had come. Logan looked at me curiously and my gaze slid to a silk scarf that had tumbled from its place on the roof of the nest, then to the beams crossing the ceiling.

I fetched the silk and Logan offered her wrists without me having to say a thing.

Within moments her arms were overhead, the silk hung over the beam.

I gave it a bit more length than I usually would so she didn’t have to balance on her toes and have her arms pressed against her ears.

This way we could accommodate the marks and Logan would have to rely as much on herself as on the ties to stay right where she was.

“Have I told you lately how fucking gorgeous you are?”

“Not as recently as I would like.”

“Allow me to correct that, then. You are—” I brushed my lips against hers. “—exquisite.” I wove my fingertips between designs, leaning forward to wrap my lips around one peaked nipple. “A treasure I searched my whole life for.”

Logan’s gasp shot straight down my spine, stirring my cock to life. I sank to my knees, lifting one of her feet to balance against my chest while I traced my thumb over her dripping slit.

“My own personal goddess to worship.”

“ Caden .”

I would never get over the way she whined my name, the begging laced through it with those two simple syllables.

Kissing one bare spot on her thigh, I let my fingers press into her, grinding her clit while she shivered head to toe, struggling to maintain her balance.

“Fuck.” Logan’s skin heated beneath my touch.

“You’re being such a good girl. I’ll give you everything you need but you have to hold still.”

She nodded frantically.

Her slick dripped down my arm and her thighs, hitting new markings and making the henna sizzle right off her body. It was a shame she had so many on her thighs so I couldn’t get my mouth on her, but I could ruin her just as easily this way.

Slow and steady ruined her as effectively as hard and fast. My omega had never been picky so long as she was getting attention.

And, lucky for her, I planned to do nothing but that for the rest of my days, worshiping at her altar no matter how many other supplicants might be on their knees next to me.

With or without a bond, Logan was mine. And it was about damn time I accepted that as much as I wanted it.