Page 80 of Cupcake

“Hi, Josiah.” Logan gave a little wave.

“What are you doing here?” Josiah asked. This time friendly, confused, hopeful.

“We’ve been tracking an evil coven. They’re really bad guys. We tracked their movements through here,” Logan explained. “We’ve seen what they’ve done to other towns.”

The young man strode forward. No one else moved. They stared at Logan like they’d seen a ghost.

“Six weeks,” Josiah said. “They were here for six weeks. They drained every resource we had. Took the lives of our strongest lions for their blood.” Josiah stopped about twelve feet away. “We’re dying here.”

Logan shook his head. “What—”

“You can’t trust them! I can smell the magic on them!” Logan’s mother yelled. She had tears streaking down her face.

“You don’t have much of a choice, Mama.” Logan held his head up high. “No one else is coming to help. No one else even knows about you.”

“Evil spawn!” she screamed at Logan. “This is your doing!”

Logan winced. Stumbled back.

Dean wrapped his arms around Logan’s waist, holding him upright.

Josiah whirled. “Stop, Mother!”

“But—”

“Enough!” Josiah shouted. “This isn’t Logan’s fault. You sent him away when he was still a child. This is the fault of the pride. Of all you elders. You let the coven in. You all did this to us and my children are suffering!”

“Mine too!” someone else yelled out. “I want to hear what they have to say!”

Josiah turned back to them. “I’m sorry about her. She hadn’t been right since father was killed.”

“He…he’s dead?” Logan’s heartbreak was evident.

“One of the first killed by the coven, right after the pride leader,” Joshiah said. “I’m sorry.”

Dean waved Josiah forward.

Josiah hesitated but rolled his shoulders back before he stalked forward with determination. Dean could see the resemblance between the brothers, but Logan was much healthier. Joshiah hadn’t been eating. Was worn down. Scared. Desperate.

“You look good, little brother,” Josiah said with a smile.

The smile did it for Dean. This was family. That was all that mattered.

Logan nodded. “I’d like for you to meet my family.” He motioned to Dean. “And my mate.”

“Mate?” Josiah’s eyebrow rose.

“True mate,” Dean confirmed.

“That…unbelievable.” Josiah motioned behind him. “I’d love to hear the story. But can you really help us?”

Logan nodded. “Dean is a powerful mage. He’s the one that’s tracking the coven down. Noah, our familiar.” He waved his hand to the other side. “Lucifer. The Lucifer. King of hell.”

Josiah audibly swallowed.

“And his true mate, Gage. Mal, demon from hell, and his true mate, Adam. Axel, my alpha.”

“Alpha?” Josiah repeated.

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