Logan leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he spoke, his voice quiet but charged with emotion.
“You don’t get what you mean to me,” he said, his silver eyes locking onto mine. “You’re not just some bystander I got tangled up with. You’re part of this, Audrey. Whether you like it or not, you’re tied to me-to this fight, to this pack. I can’t just leave you behind.”
His words hit me like a punch to the chest. I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Part of me wanted to argue, to say he was wrong, that I wasn’t anything special. But deep down, I knew that wasn’t true.
“And it’s not just about the pack,” Logan continued, his voice softening. “I… I care about you, Audrey. More than I probably should.”
The air between us seemed to freeze. My heart skipped a beat, my pulse pounding in my ears. Logan cared about me? The thought felt impossible, like something out of a dream-or a nightmare, depending on how you looked at it.
I swallowed hard, searching for the right words. “Logan, I-”
A low growl interrupted me, cutting through the stillness of the clearing like a knife. Logan was on his feet in an instant, his entire body tensed as he scanned the shadows.
“They’re here,” he said, his voice deadly calm.
My stomach dropped. I scrambled to my feet, my eyes darting around the clearing. The growl came again, closer this time, and I caught a glimpse of movement between the trees.
“What do we do?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
Logan didn’t answer. He stepped in front of me, his stance protective, his sharp eyes locked on the forest.
The first wolf stepped into the clearing, its silver fur gleaming in the faint moonlight. It was massive, easily twice the size of a normal wolf, and its eyes glowed with an unnatural light.
A second wolf followed, then a third. Soon, we were surrounded, their low growls filling the air. My throat tightened, fear clawing at my chest.
“Stay behind me,” Logan said, his voice firm.
“What about you?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“I’ll be fine.” He shot me a quick glance, a flicker of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I’m not planning on dying tonight.”
Before I could respond, the silver wolf lunged. Logan moved faster than I thought possible, meeting it head-on. The two collided with a sickening thud, their snarls echoing through the clearing.
I stumbled back, my eyes wide as I watched Logan fight. He was strong, fierce, his movements almost animalistic. But there were too many of them.
One of the wolves broke away from the fight, its glowing eyes fixed on me. My heart raced as it stalked toward me, its growl low and menacing.
“Logan!” I shouted, but he was too busy fending off two other wolves to hear me.
The wolf lunged, and I threw myself to the side, narrowly avoiding its snapping jaws. I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. The wolf turned, its eyes gleaming with hunger, and I knew I wouldn’t survive its next attack.
But before it could pounce, a blur of movement shot past me. Mal.
She tackled the wolf with a feral snarl, her body shifting mid-air. In seconds, she was no longer human but a sleek black wolf, her eyes burning with determination.
Liam wasn’t far behind. He charged into the clearing, his muscular form shifting as he let out a deafening roar. His golden-brown wolf form was as imposing as Logan’s, his fangs bared as he tore into one of the attacking wolves.
Relief flooded me, but it was short-lived. The fight was far from over. The silver wolf-Warwick’s alpha-let out a chilling howl, its eyes locking onto Logan.
“Mal! Liam!” Logan barked, his voice sharp and commanding. “Take Audrey and run!”
“No!” I shouted, my voice shaking with desperation. “I’m not leaving you!”
Logan turned to me, his eyes blazing. “You have to. This isn’t your fight.”
“Yes, it is!” I shot back, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “You said it yourself-I’m part of this now. And I’m not leaving you behind.”
The silver wolf snarled, charging at Logan with terrifying speed. Logan met it head-on, their bodies colliding in a brutal clash of teeth and claws.
“Go!” he shouted, his voice strained as he fought to hold the alpha back.
Mal shifted back into her human form, grabbing my arm. “He’s right, Audrey. We have to move!”
I resisted, my heart breaking at the thought of leaving Logan behind. But Mal’s grip was strong, and she started pulling me toward the edge of the clearing.
“Logan!” I screamed, tears streaming down my face.
He didn’t look at me, his focus entirely on the fight. But I saw the pain in his eyes, the silent plea for me to go.
As Mal and Liam dragged me into the forest, the last thing I saw was Logan, his silver eyes blazing with determination as he faced the alpha alone.
The sound of snarls and growls faded into the distance, replaced by the pounding of my heart and the crackling of branches underfoot.
But even as we ran, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over. Logan was strong, but the alpha was stronger. And if he didn’t make it out alive…
I pushed the thought away, refusing to let it take hold. Logan had to survive. He just had to.
The forest closed in around us, the darkness swallowing us whole. And somewhere behind us, Logan fought for his life.
And I couldn’t do anything to help him.
Not yet.