Page 9 of Logan

It hadn’t been the way I wanted our first morning to be, with people barging in. As I fell asleep, her body nestled close to mine, I thought of how to make today special. I was going to cook—or attempt to cook—an amazing breakfast, introduce her properly to the pack over coffee and maybe a fire pit, and then we’d sit down and discuss what would come next.

It was easier than for most people to reach that point, the one where we talked about our future. We’d shared dreams, and that is a rare and wonderful thing, one that connected our spirits long before our bodies were in the same space.

But it was also more difficult. We had this deep connection already, knowing nothing about each other. It was as if we needed to stop and let that part of our relationship catch up withour dream bond. I didn’t know what her favorite color was or what month she was born. There was so much to learn.

“We need to get your things.” I wrapped my arms around her.

She was standing on my front stoop, watching the water recede.

“Maybe later. Right now, I want to stay here and absorb all of this.” She turned to face me. “I loved seeing how your pack came together. This may sound odd, but I feel a connection, not only to you, but to your entire pack.”

“I’m so glad. It’s the way of pack life.” I rubbed noses with her. “We’re family.”

She chuckled. “Most families are not so good to one another. We’re better than family.”

We’re.I wasn’t sure if she said it intentionally, or if it just slipped out. But, whichever it was, my heart soared.

“I changed my mind.” She hugged me close, bringing her lips to my ear. “I don’t want to stay on the porch anymore… I want you to take me inside. Last night, you got to feast on me, it’s only fair that I have a little snack.”

“As if I could turn you down.” I scooped her up and carried her inside. If my mate wanted a snack, she was going to get one… and I was too.

NINE

EMERSON

I crept out of bed and slowly opened the door so as not to disturb Logan.

Though from what I’d witnessed, his shifter hearing was so attuned to me and the wildlife in the forest, he was probably aware I was out of bed.

Maisy had a mat laid out on the grass and was doing yoga, her eyes closed. I tiptoed around her and headed toward the water pump. Blaire jogged around the corner, panting, sweat rings under her arms.

She skidded to a halt and placed her hands on her knees, her chest heaving and droplets of sweat puddling in the dirt beneath her.

They were intent on keeping fit, which, at first glance, was a little unnecessary, considering they lived on a mountain. But they both worked in town and hiked little and, as they weren’t shifters, there was no hunting—at least not the type with teeth, claws, and fur.

“Lots of dreams, huh?” Blair stood up and sat on a log.

“How did you—” Asking was pointless because one look at me probably told her I’d tossed and turned, and my head was full of futuremight bes. “Yeah.”

I slumped beside her, exhausted from the people trampling through my head during the night. But I held back, not wanting to spill the deets to Blair or Maisy who’d finished twisting her body into various poses and sat on the other side of me. I wrapped my arms around my chest as I shivered in the cool morning mountain air.

“Where are Blaze and J… Alpha?” I wasn’t familiar with shifter protocol and preferred to use Jake’s title. As Alpha’s mate, Blair was the Alpha Omega, but she pooh-poohed us calling her that. She was human, so I wasn’t as concerned about saying the wrong thing as I was with Jake.

Maisy must have identified an urgency in my voice because she and Blair shared a glance. “They’re hunting. Is there something you want to discuss?”

I shuffled my feet in the dirt, and dust sprayed over my flip-flops. Now I regretted not staying in bed with my mate’s arms around me.

“Maybe, yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Logan appeared bare-chested, pulling on a tee. My pajama habit was in the past as we both slept naked. Pj’s were a hindrance when we had sex every night.

I shrugged. I was wary of telling the pack about my dreams because they were more of a hint rather than a prediction. What if I got people worried or upset or worse, had them prepare for battle when it was a big nothing?

Logan kissed my brow before ripping his clothes off and taking off into the bushes as he shifted. Moments later, his beast howled, and I gripped Blair because the guttural howl was a warning. I couldn’t interpret what I’d seen while asleep, but I hoped the shifters could and would allay my fears.

The three original pack members blended in with the woods so well, I didn’t pick them out until they shifted, their humanforms a stark contrast to the trees. They dressed and stood before me, Maisy and Blair.

“You want to share what you saw, Emmie?” Jake folded his arms. He was in Alpha mode, and I didn’t dare hold back.

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