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I caught the witch just outside Calliope’s suite. She both smelled and looked freshly fucked with bits of grass in her hair and the scent of her panther and Yelena’s wolf all over her. “The doctor is in with her.”

Logan’s eyes widened. “What? Why? What happened?”

“I don’t know. Her medical needs aren’t my business, but she’s not taking visitors right now.”

Logan stared down at the tray in her hands like she wasn’t sure what to do with it.

I knocked and Murdoch appeared. “The witch has food for your mate when the doctor is finished. Tell Calliope not to worry. I’ll take over her portion of the training.”

Logan stiffened at my words but didn’t protest. She passed the tray over to Murdoch and stood awkwardly in the hall, gaze flickering between the now-closed door and me. “She was fine when I left.”

“Illness has its own schedule, and so do babies, I’m told. I’m sure she’ll be fine for social visits after she rests, but we’re taking all of her work off her plate.”

The witch looked like she wanted to argue, but she could make no arguments when it came to medical safety.

“Come with me,” I ordered.

“Where are we going?”

“You need to practice telepathy. It’s one of the most basic skills of witches and shifters, and you can’t do it.”

She bristled. “Well, sorry for not learning everything there was to know in the one fucking week I’ve known I was a witch.”

I laughed softly, my lips helplessly forming a smirk. “Yelena should have been teaching you immediately. It’s her failing, not yours.”

“I don’t think that’s very fair?—”

“Fair or not, it’s the reality. “

She raced after me. “Where are we going ? You still haven’t told me. I know we’re practicing, but isn’t the only thing up here the Protector suites?”

“Yes.”

She stopped short. “I’m not going to your room.”

“We would go to yours if you had one. Yelena wouldn’t allow me in hers.”

“How about some public neutral ground instead?”

“You really want the nest to be able to see you struggle with such a rudimentary skill?” I turned to observe her, taking in the tightness of her shoulders, the flush of her cheeks.

“No, but?—”

“Then we only have so many options.”

“We could go outside? The trees helped me before. Maybe they could speed up my study?”

I couldn’t exactly drag her into my suite, so that would have to be the next best option. “All right.”

The elevator ride was torturous. Short as it was, we were in a very confined space and Logan smelled good enough to eat.

“You have grass in your hair.”

Her scent erupted, pink washing over her cheeks and down her throat. She tried to paw the bits of plant life from her strands, but only succeeded in burying them deeper.

With a sigh, I closed my hand around her wrist. “Calm down.”

She shivered as I plucked a handful of grass blades free. The heat of her skin against mine was an inferno, that maddening jasmine and forest scent weaving through me, casting a fucking net I was pretty sure would result in me being served up on a platter if I didn’t fight it.

I handed her the small pile of grass as the elevator door dinged and opened onto the main floor. I stalked out, leaving her scrambling to follow.

Only a few trees existed inside the fences, but all we needed was one. I took Logan to the back side of the compound and parked myself beneath the ash tree.

She settled in the grass in front of me, looking at me expectantly. “Now what?”

“Now you are going to practice directing your thoughts to me until I can hear something.”

“Wouldn’t this be easier to practice with Seth?”

“You can already talk to him because of the bond. Don’t try to cheat before you’ve even begun.” I caught her gaze. Give me your best, witch.

Her eyebrows pinched, mouth dipping into a frown. Silence reigned between us no matter how hard she stared at me. “You’re not a very good teacher if you think I’m going to accomplish something just because you tell me to do it.”

I shook my head, trying to keep my laughter to myself. Plucking up her hand, I set her fingertips against my forehead. “See if a physical connection helps. Cuss me out if you have to. As long as I hear it, I’ll consider it a success.”

The tip of her tongue stuck out as she concentrated, her skin heating against mine. Stupid— Arrogant ? —

Happy to know insulting me is all it takes for you to do this.

Logan jolted, pulling her hand away. “I did it?”

“I could’ve guessed you thought I was stupid and arrogant, but I suppose it’s nice to know for certain.”

Her blush darkened. “Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. None of the others ever do.”

“Maybe you could be a little less arrogant and then they wouldn’t have to point it out.”

You’re so confident you know how everything works, aren’t you?

“I have eyes. I can see the dynamic.”

I sighed, putting her fingers back against my forehead. Keep going.

Logan growled, her skin heating again, snippets of curses sneaking through.

Calm down. You don’t have to force it.

Easy for you to say, you fucking ? —

Classy.

Logan startled.

“Are you going to bolt every time you achieve a modicum of success?”

She narrowed her eyes, the grass around her smoking. “It’s weird.”

“Why? You can hear all of us. What’s so different about you being able to reply?”

“I don’t know ,” she snapped. “I’ve had a lot of shit to adjust to really fast. Would it kill you to be patient with me?”

“It probably wouldn’t kill me , but it might kill you if you can’t call for help.” I replaced her hand. Do it again .

I forced her to do it over and over again until all of her cursing and complaining came through loud and clear with no breaks or stutters.

This was only the beginning. Having to touch someone to communicate was only marginally above useless, but she had to start somewhere.

The longer it went on, the more sweaty and furious she became, using her annoyance to bolster her burgeoning ability.

Her eyes flickered with power every so often, sending a little zip of panic down my spine. Logan was an odd mix of predator and prey. She had so much power tucked into her but didn’t know how to access most of it—a lion in mittens and a muzzle.

“Can we please have a break?”

If you had asked with telepathy, maybe. Do it again.

I was met with a fresh stream of cursing. The witch got creative while mentally yelling at me. My favorites so far were her calling me a “white-tailed bitch” and “antlered asshole.”

Did you know everyone can smell the panther and wolf on you?

Her swearing stuttered off for a moment. So what if they can?

Just making sure you knew. I would hate for you to be prancing around the nest unaware.

Fuck off.

How long have you been fucking Yelena’s wolf?

None of your fucking business.

Does Yelena know or are you trying to take them in retaliation for Yelena keeping your panthers?

Logan growled at me, her eyes glowing. Who I fuck and why is none of your business.

If you’re going to create conflict between the Protectors, it is my business.

“Stop goading me!” Logan hissed.

“Stop making it so easy.” I probably shouldn’t be stirring the pot quite this much, but if she was going to let me rile her up, she’d have to learn to temper herself.

“Why can’t we just have a nice training session?”

“Sorry I can’t fill your time with fucking and pastries like the others. You’ll have to settle for actually accomplishing something.”

The glow in her eyes flickered and her infuriatingly delicious scent grew stronger.

Two out of five Protectors had already played with her, maybe more, though I only knew Yelena had and that Velda had kissed her in front of me.

Calliope was obsessively loyal to Murdoch, and so far as I knew, Shakti wasn’t into women.

Maybe it had primed the witch into thinking that would be par for the course with all of us.

No one was keeping me particularly informed on anything to do with Logan despite the fact that she was a Protector now.

Yelena had taunted me with how Logan’s power was boosted, and her eyes had glowed then, but I couldn’t be sure whether the light meant she was turned on or simply having a power flare. I doubted she would tell me if I asked.

Do you need a boost, witchling? Run out of power already?

I’m never going to need a boost from you.

My body tightened. Of course. Gods forbid I develop a debilitating crush on someone who actually liked me.

Do you know how to fight with your power?

Logan reared back, leaping to her feet, frustration seeping from every pore. “I don’t know how to do fucking anything with it. I’m trying so hard and so many people are relying on me, and I?—”

I rose up and pulled her into a hug before she could protest. She struggled once my arms were around her, but I held tight. Take the comfort, witch .

“No.” She squirmed harder.

I know you don’t have anyone else to act like this with.

Logan stilled, her doe eyes peeking up at me. “What do you mean?”

I’m the easy target to dump everything on.

You can’t panic to the others because they believe the sun shines out your ass and you don’t want to disappoint them.

You can fight with me because they don’t like me and you’ve decided you don’t either.

You need an enemy you feel comfortable tackling, and that’s not the monster keeping us in here. It’s me.

She tucked her head down. The scent of saltwater reached my nose and I held her tighter.

At least I wasn’t totally out to lunch with my assessment.

I could appreciate how difficult this was for her, feeling the weight of every life here on her shoulders.

If she needed a verbal punching bag to stay sane, well, it wasn’t the first time I’d filled that role.

I’m sorry. I’m not normally like this. I swear I’m usually more put together.

Running for your life makes a mess of us all. I breathed in her sweet jasmine and forest scent, still tinged with salt. “Did training drain your magic?”

She shrugged stiffly. “A bit. I could use a nap.”

A sound like thunder rolled through the air, the pounding of some primal drum beating through us. My survival instincts screamed at me. The wards overhead wavered like a mirage and the shriek of the monster had panic fizzing in every cell of my body.

“What’s happening?” Logan asked, her muscles taut in my grip.

“The wards are breaking.”