to her as he sorted what he’d picked up. “It’s going to be huge. Sorry about that.”
“Logan,” she said again.
“Yeah?”
“It was a hunter who shot you, wasn’t it?”
He nodded, absently reaching up to rub the scar he’d always bear.
“Is he still living?”
Logan shook his head. “Reno killed him.”
“Good,” she said with a nod. “I hope he ripped his fucking heart out.”
Logan grinned. “Bloodthirsty, aren’t you?”
“No one will ever threaten my man. You are mine, and I protect what’s mine.”
He jerked her up against him and took her mouth in a savage kiss. It was wild heat and unbridled passion. His tongue ravaged the interior of her mouth, owning her. She nipped his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, tasting it on her tongue as he pulled back. His hand fisted in her hair as he held her in place.
“You’re mine, Clara. You will never place yourself in front of me when there is danger. I protect what’s mine. I won’t deny you the fight, but don’t ever think to try and deny me, either.”
“By your side,” she vowed. “Always.”
He nodded, loosening his grip until he cupped the back of her skull. He guided her mouth back to his, the kiss soft and lazy this time. She knew he was remembering that moment in the lab when she’d tried to place herself between him and Reno. In her defense, Reno had been a fully shifted tiger at the time, and she’d taken one look at Logan and felt the mating call scream through her. She’d been completely off-guard in that split second with only one thought in mind. Protecting her mate.
“I’ll go grab you a shirt,” he said as he slowly eased away from her. “Then we’ll go talk to Tah and get your gear.”
“The phone call?” she asked.
“You’ll get to make it. I’ll make sure Tah doesn’t have a problem with it,” Logan assured her. “He’ll understand where your loyalty lies now that we’re mated.”
She watched Logan pull up his jeans and turn to leave the room. Where her loyalties lay? Not as easy a question as Logan seemed to think. Yes, she was loyal to her mate and understood that, as such, she would be expected to show loyalty to his pride. But that didn’t mean she could just turn her back on her uncle and the shifters that stayed with them. And Lydia? What about her? How did she tell Amia that Lydia was alive and well and had been living with shifters this whole time? Clara was Logan’s mate, but that didn’t make everything else magically disappear.
“What do I do?” she whispered, praying for some divine guidance since she didn’t have a clue.
Logan ran into Tah in the hallway. Tah inhaled deeply and sighed.
“I see you took my advice and mated Clara.”
“Yes,” Logan confirmed. “She’s mine, Tah. I did what our hormones have been demanding of us. I know you remember how this mating thing consumes you.”
Tah nodded his head. “You’ll find yourself even more consumed with Clara now. She’s a part of you. Mating is so much more than marriage is.”
“You okay?” Logan asked.
“Tired,” Tah admitted. “I wanted to find you. Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“What’s wrong?” Logan asked then grabbed Tah’s arm, his eyes huge with panic. “Abby? Did something happen? Did the transfusion not work?”
He felt the tension leave Tah as a genuine smile took over his face. “Abby’s fine. She’s resting, actually resting. Her cheeks are rosy with color. It was like watching a miracle the way she seemed to revive with my blood. That’s why I headed up here to catch you. I was hoping to talk to Clara, to offer her my thanks. I’d like to see if she and I could start fresh and talk.”
“Jesus, you scared me for a minute. I’m so glad Abby is doing better.” Logan heaved a sigh of relief. “And I’m hoping for a fresh start here for Clara, as well. I’d like for you and Reno to accept her as part of the pride now that we’re together.”
Tah nodded. “I’ll
“Logan,” she said again.
“Yeah?”
“It was a hunter who shot you, wasn’t it?”
He nodded, absently reaching up to rub the scar he’d always bear.
“Is he still living?”
Logan shook his head. “Reno killed him.”
“Good,” she said with a nod. “I hope he ripped his fucking heart out.”
Logan grinned. “Bloodthirsty, aren’t you?”
“No one will ever threaten my man. You are mine, and I protect what’s mine.”
He jerked her up against him and took her mouth in a savage kiss. It was wild heat and unbridled passion. His tongue ravaged the interior of her mouth, owning her. She nipped his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, tasting it on her tongue as he pulled back. His hand fisted in her hair as he held her in place.
“You’re mine, Clara. You will never place yourself in front of me when there is danger. I protect what’s mine. I won’t deny you the fight, but don’t ever think to try and deny me, either.”
“By your side,” she vowed. “Always.”
He nodded, loosening his grip until he cupped the back of her skull. He guided her mouth back to his, the kiss soft and lazy this time. She knew he was remembering that moment in the lab when she’d tried to place herself between him and Reno. In her defense, Reno had been a fully shifted tiger at the time, and she’d taken one look at Logan and felt the mating call scream through her. She’d been completely off-guard in that split second with only one thought in mind. Protecting her mate.
“I’ll go grab you a shirt,” he said as he slowly eased away from her. “Then we’ll go talk to Tah and get your gear.”
“The phone call?” she asked.
“You’ll get to make it. I’ll make sure Tah doesn’t have a problem with it,” Logan assured her. “He’ll understand where your loyalty lies now that we’re mated.”
She watched Logan pull up his jeans and turn to leave the room. Where her loyalties lay? Not as easy a question as Logan seemed to think. Yes, she was loyal to her mate and understood that, as such, she would be expected to show loyalty to his pride. But that didn’t mean she could just turn her back on her uncle and the shifters that stayed with them. And Lydia? What about her? How did she tell Amia that Lydia was alive and well and had been living with shifters this whole time? Clara was Logan’s mate, but that didn’t make everything else magically disappear.
“What do I do?” she whispered, praying for some divine guidance since she didn’t have a clue.
Logan ran into Tah in the hallway. Tah inhaled deeply and sighed.
“I see you took my advice and mated Clara.”
“Yes,” Logan confirmed. “She’s mine, Tah. I did what our hormones have been demanding of us. I know you remember how this mating thing consumes you.”
Tah nodded his head. “You’ll find yourself even more consumed with Clara now. She’s a part of you. Mating is so much more than marriage is.”
“You okay?” Logan asked.
“Tired,” Tah admitted. “I wanted to find you. Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“What’s wrong?” Logan asked then grabbed Tah’s arm, his eyes huge with panic. “Abby? Did something happen? Did the transfusion not work?”
He felt the tension leave Tah as a genuine smile took over his face. “Abby’s fine. She’s resting, actually resting. Her cheeks are rosy with color. It was like watching a miracle the way she seemed to revive with my blood. That’s why I headed up here to catch you. I was hoping to talk to Clara, to offer her my thanks. I’d like to see if she and I could start fresh and talk.”
“Jesus, you scared me for a minute. I’m so glad Abby is doing better.” Logan heaved a sigh of relief. “And I’m hoping for a fresh start here for Clara, as well. I’d like for you and Reno to accept her as part of the pride now that we’re together.”
Tah nodded. “I’ll
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