Page 42 of Beary In Love

"The animals-"

"They're scared, but okay. Look, I shouldn't have-"

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"You don't need to-"

"Try and stop me." She hung up before he could argue.

Her hands shook as she pulled on her jeans and grabbed her emergency potions kit. The drive to the sanctuary felt endless, her mind conjuring increasingly worse scenarios. What if Loganwas more injured than he let on? Bears didn't exactly fight gently.

The sanctuary's front gate hung crooked on its hinges. Serena parked haphazardly and rushed out, her sneakers crunching on scattered gravel. The scent of ozone and something acrid burned her nose - magical residue.

"Logan?" She called out, hurrying down the main path.

"Over here." His deep voice carried from near the hawk enclosure.

She rounded the corner and stopped short. Logan stood shirtless in the moonlight, muscles rippling as he attempted to right an overturned feeding station. Angry red scratches marked his chest and arms.

"Those need treatment," she said, already digging in her bag.

"I'm fine." He grunted, finally getting the feeder upright.

"Sure you are, tough guy. Sit."

"Serena-"

"Sit down before I make you sit down."

A ghost of a smile crossed his face as he lowered himself onto a nearby bench. "Yes ma'am."

She tried to ignore how her fingers tingled when they brushed his warm skin as she applied healing salve to his wounds. "Want to tell me what happened?"

"Rather hear why you rushed over here in the middle of the night wearing mismatched shoes."

Serena glanced down. Sure enough - one blue sneaker, one purple. Heat crept up into her cheeks. "I was worried about you, you impossible man."

His hand caught hers, stilling her movements. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Serena watched Logan pull his shirt back on. The healing salve she'd applied would take care of the worst of his injuries, but her stomach still churned at how close the fight had been.

"Let me see the rest of the damage," she said, shouldering her bag.

Logan's jaw tightened. "It's not pretty."

They walked through the sanctuary together, and Serena's heart sank. Broken branches littered the paths, and deep claw marks scored the wooden posts of several enclosures. The hawk cage she'd helped with earlier lay twisted on its side, though thankfully the bird inside remained unharmed.

"My magic," she whispered, running her hand along a section of fence. The protective barrier she'd crafted was gone, leaving only empty air where her spells should have hummed. "It's completely dissolved."

"Yeah, noticed that right before the attack." Logan hefted a fallen beam. "Mind giving me a hand?"

They worked side by side in the moonlight, clearing debris and checking on frightened animals. The raccoons chittered nervously when they approached, while the deer pressed close to their fence, seeking reassurance.

"That's the third time you've yawned in five minutes," Logan said.

"I'm fine." Serena straightened another section of fence, fighting back another yawn. "Just need to finish-"

"We can do more tomorrow." His hand settled on her lower back, warm and steady. "Take a break."

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