him, flying high into ecstasy with him. And for the first time in her life, she felt completely free. She wasn’t a daughter, a niece, a rescuer or a watcher. She was simply Clara, Logan’s mate. It was the most liberating sensation in the world.
Logan collapsed on top of her, pinning her to the bed under him as they both fought to get oxygen in. He turned to glance at her and jerked up so quickly she cried out.
“Fuck!” he exclaimed, moving off of her and running his hands over her. “Did I hurt you? Where? Shit, Clara, I didn’t mean to. I swear.”
“What?” She shook her head, a little dazed. “You didn’t hurt me. Why would you think that?”
He swiped a finger under her eye and came away with moisture. “You’re crying.”
“I am?” She put her hands to her face and felt the tears covering her cheeks. “I didn’t realize…”
“Are you okay?”
She nodded her head. “Hold me?”
“Always.” He lay back down next to her and tugged her over until her head was on his chest. He had one arm under her, the other was brushing through her disheveled hair. “I’ve got you.”
“Don’t let go, Logan. Promise me you won’t let me go.”
“Never,” he vowed, and she believed him.
There was so much they hadn’t spoken of that they were going to have to. She had no idea how the rest of the pride would react to finding out Lydia Blane was still alive and well. How would it affect Amia? Would it turn everyone against Clara for good? If it didn’t and she stayed, would she be able to work with Tah without insulting him with what she knew and he didn’t? God, what a mess!
She needed to make a call, and get some answers herself. Then maybe she could handle all of this without fucking everything up and creating discord where they needed an alliance.
Chapter Five
“So tell me about your family,” Clara urged Logan.
“This is it,” he said. “All the people here. These are my family.”
“What about outside of here? Your parents? Siblings?”
He sighed and began stroking her hair through his fingers. “I haven’t seen my parents in a long time. My dad was very set against me becoming a Marine. He gave me an ultimatum. I chose the Marines.”
“Why? If your family was so against it?”
“Defiance. Arrogance. Who knows? By the time I turned eighteen I was so ready to get out of that house and out from under his thumb, I would have done anything he told me not to.”
“Doesn’t sound like you had a great childhood,” Clara whispered.
“It was all right. He wasn’t abusive or anything like that. I never wanted for anything. We butted heads a lot. He had his way of wanting things, and I went about it just the opposite.”
“What about your mother?”
Logan shrugged. “Mom always sided with Dad on everything. What he said was the law, and that was that as far as she was concerned.”
“Any brothers or sisters?”
“I have a younger sister, Laura.”
“Do you ever talk to her?”
“I haven’t spoken to anyone since I left. I wrote a few letters home at first, but no one ever answered.”
“Your family sucks, Logan.”
His laughter tickled her ear. “No. My family’s the people here, the ones I chose and who chose me. Tah and Reno. Finn and Murphy. Zane, Holt, Vic and Kenzie. We became a family when we were in the same unit. I know I can trust all of them with my life. Now I have Abby and Amia, the Professor and Diane.” He tipped her chin up so she met his gaze. “And you. Now I have you. I’d say my life is pretty wonderful now.”
She shook her head. “Now your life is shifters and the hunters who feel it’s their job to rid the world of the abomination we are. They won’t ever stop, and it won’t matter if you’re human or not. You’ve mated me. To them you’ve chosen a side and that makes you fair game as far as they’re concerned.”
“Let them come. We’ll stop them just like we did the last time.”
“How many hunters did you
Logan collapsed on top of her, pinning her to the bed under him as they both fought to get oxygen in. He turned to glance at her and jerked up so quickly she cried out.
“Fuck!” he exclaimed, moving off of her and running his hands over her. “Did I hurt you? Where? Shit, Clara, I didn’t mean to. I swear.”
“What?” She shook her head, a little dazed. “You didn’t hurt me. Why would you think that?”
He swiped a finger under her eye and came away with moisture. “You’re crying.”
“I am?” She put her hands to her face and felt the tears covering her cheeks. “I didn’t realize…”
“Are you okay?”
She nodded her head. “Hold me?”
“Always.” He lay back down next to her and tugged her over until her head was on his chest. He had one arm under her, the other was brushing through her disheveled hair. “I’ve got you.”
“Don’t let go, Logan. Promise me you won’t let me go.”
“Never,” he vowed, and she believed him.
There was so much they hadn’t spoken of that they were going to have to. She had no idea how the rest of the pride would react to finding out Lydia Blane was still alive and well. How would it affect Amia? Would it turn everyone against Clara for good? If it didn’t and she stayed, would she be able to work with Tah without insulting him with what she knew and he didn’t? God, what a mess!
She needed to make a call, and get some answers herself. Then maybe she could handle all of this without fucking everything up and creating discord where they needed an alliance.
Chapter Five
“So tell me about your family,” Clara urged Logan.
“This is it,” he said. “All the people here. These are my family.”
“What about outside of here? Your parents? Siblings?”
He sighed and began stroking her hair through his fingers. “I haven’t seen my parents in a long time. My dad was very set against me becoming a Marine. He gave me an ultimatum. I chose the Marines.”
“Why? If your family was so against it?”
“Defiance. Arrogance. Who knows? By the time I turned eighteen I was so ready to get out of that house and out from under his thumb, I would have done anything he told me not to.”
“Doesn’t sound like you had a great childhood,” Clara whispered.
“It was all right. He wasn’t abusive or anything like that. I never wanted for anything. We butted heads a lot. He had his way of wanting things, and I went about it just the opposite.”
“What about your mother?”
Logan shrugged. “Mom always sided with Dad on everything. What he said was the law, and that was that as far as she was concerned.”
“Any brothers or sisters?”
“I have a younger sister, Laura.”
“Do you ever talk to her?”
“I haven’t spoken to anyone since I left. I wrote a few letters home at first, but no one ever answered.”
“Your family sucks, Logan.”
His laughter tickled her ear. “No. My family’s the people here, the ones I chose and who chose me. Tah and Reno. Finn and Murphy. Zane, Holt, Vic and Kenzie. We became a family when we were in the same unit. I know I can trust all of them with my life. Now I have Abby and Amia, the Professor and Diane.” He tipped her chin up so she met his gaze. “And you. Now I have you. I’d say my life is pretty wonderful now.”
She shook her head. “Now your life is shifters and the hunters who feel it’s their job to rid the world of the abomination we are. They won’t ever stop, and it won’t matter if you’re human or not. You’ve mated me. To them you’ve chosen a side and that makes you fair game as far as they’re concerned.”
“Let them come. We’ll stop them just like we did the last time.”
“How many hunters did you
Similar Books
