Logan’s eyes struggled to stay open, but the faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “I didn’t think I’d make it.”
“You’re stronger than you think,” I whispered, brushing his damp hair back. “You’ll make it.”
He gave a soft, shaky breath, his hand still clutching mine. But I could feel the weight of his body against the bed, his muscles lax, his energy drained. He was far from okay, but just hearing his voice again, seeing him awake-alive-was enough to fill my heart with something I hadn’t realized I’d been missing: hope.
“We can’t stay here forever,” Logan muttered, his eyes fluttering shut again as though the effort of speaking had drained him further.
“I know,” I said quietly, glancing out the window. The forest beyond seemed as still as ever, but there was no way of knowing if Warwick or his wolves were close by, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The weight of that thought hung heavily over me, but I forced myself to focus on the now-on Logan.
“Rest,” I added gently. “We’ll figure it out, one step at a time.”
Logan didn’t respond, his breathing evening out as he fell into a much-needed sleep. His face, while still pale, seemed more at peace than it had moments ago. I didn’t let go of his hand, unwilling to risk the distance.
Mal stirred from her corner, stretching her arms with a low groan before rubbing her eyes. “How’s he doing?” she asked, her voice quiet but filled with concern.
“He’s awake,” I said, turning to meet her gaze. “But still weak.”
Mal nodded, pushing herself up from the floor. “That’s good. We need him to rest, but we also need to figure out what’s next. We can’t stay hidden in this cabin forever.”
I understood what she meant. We were lucky to have found this place, but luck wasn’t going to last forever. Warwick was still out there, and we didn’t know how long it would take him to regroup, to come after us again.
“Have you seen anything?” I asked, moving toward the window.
Mal shook her head. “The forest is still quiet. Too quiet.”
I felt a chill at her words. Something about the silence unsettled me-there was no sign of movement, no animals rustling in the underbrush, no wind whispering through the trees. The world outside was still, as though it were holding its breath.
“Maybe that’s a good sign,” Liam murmured from where he sat near the fire. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, eyes scanning the shadows outside. “Maybe Warwick’s not close.”
“Or maybe he’s just waiting,” Mal said, her tone grim. “Either way, we can’t afford to sit around and wait. We need a plan.”
I turned back to Logan, still lying on the bed, his hand still loosely clasped in mine. The feeling of helplessness gnawed at me, the knowledge that we had no real options.
“What if we leave?” I suggested hesitantly. “We head further into the woods. Try to throw them off our trail.”
Mal glanced at me, thoughtful. “It could work. If we’re careful. But we’d need to move quickly. We can’t let Warwick catch wind of our plan.”
Liam stood up, shaking his head. “It’s too dangerous to move while Logan’s still injured. We need to give him time to heal. Otherwise, we’re carrying dead weight.”
The words stung, but I knew he was right. Logan wouldn’t be able to keep up, and his injuries were too serious for us to risk moving too soon.
“I’m not dead yet,” Logan’s voice came weakly from the bed, and I turned to find his eyes half-open again. “I can still move.”
I squeezed his hand gently, leaning closer. “You’re going to rest, Logan. We’ll figure it out. But you need time to heal.”
He sighed, clearly too exhausted to argue. “Fine. But make it quick.”
I smiled faintly, trying to ease the tension in the room. “We will. I promise.”
The next few hours passed in a blur. We ate, though none of us had much appetite. I checked on Logan frequently, his condition remaining stable but not improving as quickly as I’d hoped. He was pale, his energy drained, but at least he wasn’t getting worse. That was something.
The cabin grew colder as night approached, and we knew we had to make a decision. Staying here any longer was too risky. But moving, especially with Logan still recovering, felt like a gamble. I didn’t want to take that chance, not with his life on the line.
“I think we should move out tomorrow,” Mal said as we gathered around the fire after dinner. “Logan needs some time to rest, but we can’t wait much longer. If Warwick’s still out there, we need to get ahead of him.”
Liam agreed, his jaw tight. “We’ll need to pack up and be ready to go at first light. Keep everything light-just what we need.”
I nodded, my mind working overtime. We had to get Logan back to safety. The danger from Warwick felt real, too close for comfort, but I couldn’t help but feel that there was something more at play. Something bigger than just us.
“I’ll take first watch tonight,” I said, standing up. “Get some rest, both of you. We move at dawn.”
Mal and Liam nodded, already preparing to sleep. I sat by the fire, my thoughts drifting as I kept an eye on the cabin’s entrance. It was eerily quiet outside, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched.
Logan shifted in his sleep, his hand still clutched tightly in mine. As I stared into the flickering flames, I whispered a quiet promise to him.
“We’ll make it through this. I won’t let anything happen to you.”