236

Logan’s POV
“Are you alright, brother?” Liam’s voice broke through my thoughts as his hand settled gently on my shoulder.
It wasn’t until I looked up and saw his concerned face hovering over me that I realized I was doubled over, hands braced on my knees.
“I’m good,” I replied, straightening up and schooling my features into calm neutrality. “Just needed a moment to catch my breath. That was a lot to process.”
I couldn’t afford to let my little brother see me unraveling.
“It’s time to meet Lia for lunch,” he reminded me, his tone lighter now. “Still up for it?”
“Of course. No way I’m missing a chance to spend time with my baby girl. Let’s go,” I said, injecting forced enthusiasm into my voice.
Truthfully, I was looking forward to seeing her. I just hoped she wouldn’t pick up on my inner turmoil. Hiding my emotions had never been my strong suit. When something was weighing on me, everyone usually knew. But Alma had been right-bringing up everything now, without the full picture, would only make Lia worry. And I wouldn’t do that to her.
“How do you seem so calm through all of this?” I asked Liam as we walked side by side.
He let out a dry, humorless laugh. “I’m anything but calm. My mind’s a mess. Ghost is practically pacing, ready to rip apart anyone who gets near her if it means keeping her safe. I’ve just always been better at pretending than you. Besides, we need more answers. We don’t even know if she has the mark yet. If she does… then I’ll really start to panic.”
“Right,” I agreed. “Maybe after lunch, we can go for a run with her. Our wolves have been dying to meet Blue properly. We could all use the break.”
“I’m in,” Liam nodded. “Let’s see what Lia thinks.”
The walk to the infirmary passed mostly in silence, both of us lost in our thoughts. When we reached the glass doors, I stopped short, needing a second to steady the storm in my head. Fang, thankfully, had retreated into the quiet recesses of my mind, choosing to process everything in solitude.
I looked up-and there she was.
Lia stood in the waiting area, surrounded by several women who buzzed around her like bees drawn to nectar. They spoke animatedly, and she met their energy with warmth and enthusiasm. I was frozen in place.
It wasn’t just her beauty, though that alone was captivating. It was the confidence she carried, the kindness in her gestures, and the sincerity in her voice. She cared-deeply-even for women she’d only just met. She was genuine. She was radiant. She was mine.
And still, I couldn’t shake the gnawing thought that I didn’t deserve her. That fate had handed me something so perfect only to one day take it away. That this happiness-this wholeness-was temporary.
Suddenly, she turned and caught sight of us. Her eyes found mine and a small smile curved her lips.
“Should we go in?” Liam asked.
“No,” I said, my voice low. “She knows we’re here. Let her finish. Who are we to steal her away from her pack members? She’s their Luna.”
“Luna,” Liam repeated under his breath, awe in his tone. “I love the sound of that.”
“Me too,” I admitted. “More than I ever thought I would.”
“Hi, Alphas!” Lia greeted us suddenly, catching us both off guard.
“Hey, baby girl!”
“Hi, Angel!”
We responded in perfect unison, earning a laugh from her.
God, that laugh. It made my chest ache. Judging by Liam’s grin, it hit him just as hard.
“So,” she began, linking her arms with both of us, “what’s for lunch?”
“Well… I was wondering if you’d be okay with grabbing something quick from the pack house kitchen instead of going out,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t be disappointed.
“Of course!” she replied easily. “We could even reschedule if it helps. I know you both have a lot going on. I don’t want to take up all your time.”
There was a flicker of something in her voice-disappointment, maybe-but she masked it well.
“No!” Liam blurted. “We don’t want to reschedule. We were just thinking something light and then maybe… going for a run after. If you’re up for it.”
I watched her face closely, searching for any hesitation. We wouldn’t pressure her-not for something this intimate. Our wolves had already accepted the bond. This was a big next step.
To my surprise, a broad smile lit up her face.
“A run?” she asked, eyes shining. “Like… in wolf form?”
“Yes, baby girl. But only if you’re comfortable with it,” I added quickly.
“I’d love to!” she squealed. “I’ve been dying to meet your wolves! And Blue’s been pestering me about it for days!”
Her excitement was contagious. I found myself grinning, my wolf already pacing in anticipation.
“Then let’s go, Angel,” Liam said with a playful smile as he took her hand and gently tugged her toward the door.
An hour later, we were deep in the forest behind the pack house. Lia’s hand was in mine, Liam’s arm was slung casually around her waist, and our energy buzzed with barely contained excitement. None of us said it aloud, but we knew this was a milestone. This mattered.
We led her further into the trees, far beyond where anyone from the house might see. Wolf vision was sharp-and no one, absolutely no one, got to see our mate naked except us.
Finally, we stopped.
“You ready, baby girl?” I asked, giving her one final chance to back out.
“Let’s do this,” she said without hesitation.
Liam and I began undressing, unbothered by the nudity wolves were so accustomed to. But Lia cleared her throat, and we looked up to see her face flushed crimson.
Apparently, our little mate wasn’t as unaffected by us as she liked to pretend.
I smirked.
“I’m just going to shift behind that tree,” she said, turning on her heel and walking away with her back to us.
We watched her until she was out of sight, then finished undressing and shifted. Now in wolf form, we stood side by side, hearts thudding in sync as we waited for her.
For her wolf.
For the final piece of our bond to fall into place.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sight that met my eyes when she stepped into view. Her wolf was breathtaking. Pure white, her coat shimmered under the sunlight, its glossy sheen catching every ray like polished snow. Most wolves bore fur that echoed their human hair color, so I’d assumed hers would be a rich golden blonde. I never expected this.
And those eyes-those vibrant, electric blue eyes-shone even more vividly in this form, if that were even possible. The intelligence, the emotion-they were the same. It was still her. I stood frozen, completely captivated, until Liam’s voice echoed in my mind.
“Fucking beautiful.”
His tone was awestruck, and I knew mine would’ve been too, if I’d found the words.
Lia tilted her head slightly, clearly picking up on our silent exchange. Though the mind-link wouldn’t connect in our human forms until we marked her, we could reach her now-as wolves. I opened the link between us.
“Just admiring how gorgeous you are, baby girl,” I said.
Her soft giggle echoed back through the bond, making my wolf ache to leap forward and smother her in affection.
“You two aren’t so bad yourselves,” she replied teasingly, padding toward us.
Even as a wolf, she was tall for a female-her head reached just to our shoulders, like her human form. Without hesitation, she moved between Liam and me, nuzzling our necks. Fang rumbled with contentment in my chest.
I lowered my head to nuzzle her back-but something made me freeze. Just behind her left ear, nestled in the sea of white, was a distinct patch of brown fur-shaped unmistakably like a Triskelion. My heart pounded. I buried my snout in her neck, breathing her in, trying to calm the storm brewing inside me.
“Beautiful mark behind your left ear, baby girl. Was that from one of your parents?” I asked, gently probing.
Liam stiffened beside me, the truth hitting him like a blow to the chest.
“I don’t think so,” she said, sounding unsure. “They would’ve told me if it was. It’s kind of weird, right?”
“Not weird at all. It’s stunning. Just like you,” I said, licking the side of her face. She giggled again, and damn, that sound did something to me.
“Let me see this beautiful mark!” Liam said, circling her. I felt it the moment he saw it-even though he tried to mask his reaction.
“That’s so cool! I love it,” he said brightly, nuzzling her in the same spot.
“I thought we were supposed to be going for a run!” she teased, nipping playfully at Liam’s ear before spinning and bolting away.
“Minx!” he growled, lunging after her.
I chuckled, easing down onto my haunches to watch them. I could catch up easily-I just wanted a moment to take her in. The sunlight lit her fur like firelight on snow. She moved with such fluid grace-powerful, agile, untamed. Her wolf was radiant. Fierce and free.
Liam snapped at her heels, and she growled back playfully before bursting into a sprint.
And she was fast.
Liam managed to stay with her, but she made him work for it. Fang, my wolf, was restless-he wanted to join his mate, to run beside her. I held him back, just a bit longer.
When they vanished from sight, I finally launched forward, running at full speed, following their scent trail deeper into the trees. The moment I sensed them stopped ahead, a flicker of jealousy hit me like a gut-punch.
I found them tangled on the forest floor-laughing in their own way, nipping and tumbling together. Intimate. Mated wolves didn’t just play like that-it was a bonding, a sharing of affection. And I wasn’t part of it. Not yet.
I moved closer, still unsure how to join in without disrupting the moment-but Lia made the choice for me. She suddenly tore away from Liam and slammed into me with surprising force.
Caught off guard, my wolf went tumbling, rolling across the forest floor. Dazed for a heartbeat, I felt her pounce again-this time landing squarely on my chest, white paws pressing down on my shoulders.
But her victory was short-lived.
I rolled, flipping her beneath me with ease, pinning her down. My larger frame held her firmly, but gently. With Fang now fully present, I watched through his eyes as he licked her face from jaw to brow. She giggled again through the link-but the tone was deeper, smoother.
Blue had surfaced too.
Ghost-Liam’s wolf-let out a rumbling laugh and bounded over. In seconds, both he and Fang were nipping and licking her while she squirmed beneath them. Her tail flicked playfully. She submitted, lying belly-up with her paws tucked in.
My wolf rumbled his approval, and so did Liam’s. And damn if I didn’t feel the exact same way.
“Think it’s time to let our wolves have some time?” Liam asked. “Ghost wants to bond with her. I’m sure Fang and Blue do too.”
“Definitely,” I replied. “Fang’s been driving me crazy about it.”
“Blue’s begging,” Lia said. “Let’s give them a little while.”
We each gave our wolves control. I stayed close in the background-ready to take over if needed. Fang was possessive. He’d want to mark her. And though I knew Blue might not resist, Lia wasn’t ready. I wouldn’t allow him to overstep.
In our world, mates were marked at the Luna ceremony. In front of the pack. And marking usually led to mating. I wanted Lia’s first time to be human. Intimate. Shared. Special.
To my relief, Fang and Ghost were nothing but respectful. They ran with Blue for hours, darting through the woods, chasing each other, tumbling in dry leaves and tall grass. When we finally made our way back near the clearing where we’d left our clothes, Blue curled up on the forest floor.
She wasn’t ready to shift back.
Instead, she stayed there, tail curled neatly beside her. Fang lay down at her right, Ghost at her left, and we each rested our heads gently across her back.
“Mate is tired. We should go home,” Fang murmured through the link.
“We’ve been running for hours. She needs food,” Ghost added.
Glad they were yielding control, I eased forward again. So did Liam.
“Time to head home and feed our little wolf,” I said through the link, brushing my snout into her neck one last time. Blue purred low as Ghost nuzzled her from the other side, and then Lia returned to herself.
“I’m gonna have to train harder to keep up with you two,” she said, laughter in her voice. “And maybe eat more pasta beforehand. I’m starving.”
Her first comment echoed in my chest.
She wanted to keep up with us.
She wanted more days like this-more runs, more shared moments in our other forms. That meant she wasn’t just tolerating the bond. She was embracing it.
Liam stood first, and we all followed. As we padded back to the spot where we’d stashed our clothes, I couldn’t stop thinking about how happy I was-genuinely, deeply happy-to just be near her. No pressure. No expectations.
Just us.
That feeling? I’d never had it with anyone else. Not ever.
With Lia, I craved it like oxygen.
Then Liam’s voice entered my mind-cool, steady, and heavy with realization.
“She had the mark. We need to talk to Oberon.”
Damn it.