Liam’s POV
My mind was a chaotic swirl of emotions, and I was certain not all of them belonged to me. The moment Rowena approached Logan, I knew-just from the look in her eyes-that this would not end well.
There was no mistaking her intent. She had given herself to Logan, and in her mind, that had to mean something. He hadn’t confided in me about sleeping with her, but I wasn’t blind. I knew my brother well enough to understand exactly what was happening-and why. A sharp pang of panic struck me.
This was too soon. Too soon for Lia to face one of Logan’s many past flings-if they could even be called that. He never stayed with any of them longer than a single night, and Lia had picked up on that fact almost instantly. She was already hesitant about the mate bond, struggling to come to terms with the revelation that she had not just one mate, but two. And now this? It was overwhelming, unfair, and entirely too much all at once.
But panic wasn’t all I felt.
As Lia unleashed her anger on Logan, I stood frozen, unable to move, unable to speak. Helpless. Watching the scene unfold was like witnessing a car crash-you couldn’t tear your eyes away, even as you braced for impact. There was nothing I could do to change the outcome. I was going to lose her, not because of anything I had done, but because Logan and I were bound together. She was making it painfully clear she didn’t want him.
I glanced at my brother as he listened to her sharp, unforgiving words-words that told him she deserved better than him as a mate. I saw how they landed. First, devastation. Then guilt. And finally, resignation. He had already believed every single accusation before she ever spoke them aloud.
And that, more than anything, broke my heart.
I was furious with him. Furious at his reckless, impulsive choices, furious at the Moon Goddess for setting us up for failure. I had waited patiently for my mate, trusted in the Goddess’s plan, only for it to unravel in a matter of hours.
All of those emotions made sense. They were justified, expected even. But what I couldn’t explain was the rage burning inside me-a fury that wasn’t mine. My own anger was clouded by sorrow and disappointment, not this raw, blinding rage.
I turned to Logan again. He was barely holding it together. Then, I looked at Lia. Her fury radiated off her in waves, her expression dark with unchecked anger.
And suddenly, I understood.
The mate bond allowed us to sense our mate’s emotions, but only marked mates could feel them this intensely. Yet, I was feeling hers. Almost as if they were my own.
I didn’t have time to dwell on that revelation. Lia was walking away, and I wasn’t anywhere near ready to let her go.
“Fix this. Now,” I growled at Logan, my wolf’s rage rising alongside my own. The command left my lips with a force I hadn’t expected.
Logan’s head snapped up in surprise, his eyes widening at the intensity in my voice before he took off running after her. I followed, my heart pounding, desperate to reach her. Desperate to find a way to fix this.
I watched her as she ran ahead, her fingers moving frantically over her phone screen. A part of me dreaded who she was contacting. My gut twisted at the thought that it might be her father. Ian had warned me to talk to her about Logan. Maybe if I had, she wouldn’t have been blindsided like this. I already knew she hated being caught off guard. She craved control, and the fact that it had been ripped from her only made her anger that much sharper.
And that was my fault.
Ian was going to kill me for letting his daughter get hurt.
Logan reached her just in time, shoving his way into her room before she could slam the door in our faces. I stepped in right behind him. Lia spun to face us, her frustration burning in her gaze. And in that moment, my world stopped.
Because I knew.
I could see it in her eyes. She was going to reject us.
A strangled sound came from beside me-Logan, begging her to listen-but I barely registered it. I saw her lips move, forming the words, and I wanted to stop her. But I couldn’t.
I was frozen.
Then Logan’s voice shattered through the moment, panic laced in every syllable.
“Lia! Baby, wake up! Please wake up!”
Wake up?
What was he talking about?
Reality came rushing back as I finally processed the scene before me. My gaze snapped to them, and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe.
Logan was kneeling on the floor, cradling Lia’s limp body against his chest, his hands shaking as he tried to wake her. Her head lolled forward, her arms hanging lifelessly at her sides.
A cold wave of fear slammed into me, breaking through my paralysis.
I dropped to my knees beside them, brushing her golden curls back from her face. My fingers barely touched her skin before I recoiled in alarm.
“She’s burning up!” I shouted, my voice thick with panic. My wolf thrashed inside me, desperate, frantic. Something was horribly wrong. “We need a doctor-now!”
I fumbled in my pockets, my fingers clumsy and unsteady as I searched for my phone.
“Use the mind-link!” Logan snapped, frustration cutting through his fear.
I clenched my jaw, shaking off my panic as my eyes glazed over, reaching out through the link to summon help. When there was no immediate response, I shifted my focus, reaching for our Beta instead.
“Bastian, find a pack doctor. Now.”
His voice came through instantly. “Hey, bro! I-”
I cut him off. “No time! Get a doctor here. ASAP.”
“I’m on it,” he answered without hesitation. “Theron’s out of town, but I just left the cafe-Dr. Hawthorne was there. I’ll bring her right now. What’s happening?”
His voice was tight with concern, but I couldn’t focus on that.
I could barely focus on anything beyond the unconscious girl in Logan’s arms.
Lia wasn’t waking up.
And I had no idea how to save her.
“Something’s wrong with Lia. She fainted, and we can’t wake her. She’s burning up with fever. Please, hurry!” I pleaded desperately through the mind-link.
“Already back at the cafe. I’ll be there in five minutes, tops! Just hang in there. It’s going to be okay!” Bastian reassured me, though the tightness in his voice told me he was just as worried.
As soon as my vision cleared, Logan was on me. “Who’s coming?” he demanded, his panic barely contained.
“Bastian is bringing Ophelia Hawthorne. They’ll be here any minute.”
His brows furrowed. “Where’s Theron? Why isn’t he coming?”
I exhaled sharply. “He’s out of town. Dr. Hawthorne is the best option we have right now. She’s just as capable.” Logan was too panicked to think clearly, and I needed to keep my own head straight. “Now, get her off the floor and onto the bed while I grab a cool rag.”
Logan hesitated, staring at Lia’s unconscious form, his hands hovering over her as if afraid she would break. My chest tightened at the sight, but we didn’t have time to waste. “Logan!” I snapped, snapping him out of his daze. With a clenched jaw, he finally moved, carefully lifting her onto the bed.
I rushed to the bathroom, grabbing a washcloth and wetting it with cool water. Just as I stepped back into the room, the door burst open, and Bastian and Dr. Hawthorne rushed in, both breathless.
Bastian placed a firm hand on Logan’s shoulder in silent support while Dr. Hawthorne headed straight for Lia, her professional composure taking over.
“Tell me exactly what happened!” she commanded, her sharp gaze flicking between us.
Logan swallowed hard. “I… I don’t know,” he admitted, voice raw. “She just fainted, and we couldn’t wake her.”
Dr. Hawthorne’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I can see that much, Alpha. What was she doing right before she passed out? Did she show any signs of illness?”
Logan hesitated. “Um, well…”
Her eyes narrowed. “Look, I can’t treat her without all the details. If you want me to help, you need to help me.”
The words left my mouth before I could think. “She was rejecting us.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Dr. Hawthorne’s face before she masked it. I avoided Logan’s gaze, knowing exactly what I’d see-pain, devastation. Bastian, standing behind him, wore an expression of quiet sympathy. I forced myself to keep talking. “She wasn’t sick, but she was angry. She started to reject us, but before she could finish, she collapsed. The bond is still intact, so I don’t think it was enough.”
Dr. Hawthorne nodded, absorbing the information. “Did she hit her head when she fell?”
“No,” Logan said immediately, his voice thick with guilt. “She just slumped to the ground. I should have caught her.”
“That’s good. We can rule out a head injury delaying her recovery.” She was already moving, examining Lia’s pulse and temperature with careful precision. “One more thing-could you sense your wolves communicating with hers? Did they seem to have a strong connection?”
Logan and I exchanged a glance before answering in unison. “Yes.”
I cleared my throat. “Ghost has been talking about her wolf since we found her this morning. He’s certain her wolf wants us, too.”
Logan shifted uncomfortably. “Fang and I haven’t spent as much time with her, but he’s already completely gone for her. He insists her wolf, Blue, didn’t want the rejection-but he’s an arrogant ass, so of course he would say that.”
Dr. Hawthorne hummed thoughtfully, then straightened. “That’s helpful. Now, both of you-out.”
Logan bristled. “I’m not leaving her!”
“Hell no!” I growled, standing my ground.
Her eyes hardened. “You just admitted she was rejecting you. That means she likely doesn’t want either of you in the room while I undress her for examination. Now, be the gentlemen your mother raised you to be and step outside.”
Logan’s jaw clenched, but I placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “She’s right. We need to respect her privacy.”
Through the link, Logan’s voice was sharp. “Ten minutes. Then I’m coming back in.”
I didn’t argue. We stepped into the hallway, but the moment the door shut behind us, the panic crept back in, clawing at my chest.
Ghost whimpered in my head, restless without his mate. Logan slid down the wall, running a hand over his face, his frustration and worry weighing down the air between us.
And all we could do was wait.