Page 10 of Marked For A Bite
He'd signed up for the enforcer role a decade ago, knowing full well what it would cost him. The violence, the isolation, and the blood on his hands that would never wash clean. He'd accepted it all because someone had to do the dark work, and he was better equipped than most to carry that heavy burden.
But now? Christ, now he had a mate who'd already proven she'd throw herself into danger for him. The thought of Zoe anywhere near his world of violence and death made his jaw clench with protective fury.
She stirred in the passenger seat, making a soft sound that went straight to his groin. Even in sleep, her body responded to his proximity—her breathing had synchronized with his, and he could scent the subtle arousal that clung to her skin whenever he was near.
Mine,his wolf growled with possessive satisfaction.
Logan's tactical mind ran through the possibilities like a chess game. He could walk away after delivering her to the safehouse. Let Kieran handle her integration into pack life, her training, and her safety. It would be the smart play, the logical choice.
Except the memory of hurt in her soft voice when she'd realized he wouldn't be staying haunted him. The way her hazel eyes had dimmed when he'd deflected her trust and her hope that he might stick around to help her navigate this new world.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, navigating another sharp curve.
The truth was, his world had tilted off its axis the moment he'd touched her face. Ten years of careful emotional control, of keeping everyone at arm's length, and one hybrid wolf shifter had shattered it all with a single touch.
How the hell was he supposed to hand her over to Kieran and just walk away? How was he supposed to pretend the mate bond didn't exist when every cell in his body told him to claim her, protect her, and keep her?
And what would Kieran say when he discovered his top enforcer had found his fated mate during what should have been a simple extraction mission?
Logan's phone buzzed with an incoming text. He grabbed it with one hand, keeping his eyes on the road. It was Kieran.
Status report. ETA?
Logan typed back quickly.Thirty minutes out. Target secure.
Target.The word felt harsh in his thoughts. Zoe was so much more than a target now, but admitting that would complicate everything.
His phone buzzed again.Any complications?
Logan stared at the screen for a long moment. Complications didn't begin to cover it. Finding his mate, killing four human hunters, and discovering Zoe's fierce protective instincts—none of it had been part of the plan.
Nothing I couldn't handle,he finally typed back.
Zoe shifted again, her hand falling across the center console to rest dangerously close to his thigh. Even through his jeans, he could feel the heat of her palm like a brand. His wolf preened at her unconscious trust, and the way she instinctively reached for him even in sleep.
Twenty more minutes to figure out how to walk away from everything he'd never known he wanted.
The gravel crunched beneath Logan's Jeep tires as he killed the engine, moonlight filtering through the dense canopy overhead to cast silver shadows across the hidden safehouse. His enhanced hearing picked up the familiar sounds of a rebel stronghold—muted conversations, the soft scrape of weapons being cleaned, and the restless pacing of wolf shifters.
He turned toward Zoe, who'd been sleeping peacefully for the past hour and a half, her curly hair spilling across the passenger seat like dark honey in the moonlight. The mate bond thrummed between them, a constant electric current that made his wolf pace beneath his skin.
"Zoe." Logan kept his voice low and gentle. "We're here."
Her hazel eyes fluttered open, immediately finding his green ones in the dim interior of the Jeep. When she smiled softly—bright and unguarded and absolutely devastating—Logan felt his carefully constructed walls crack even further. That smile hit him with sheer force, warm and trusting and completely at odds with everything his world represented.
Turn the engine back on,his wolf demanded.Drive to the cabin. Keep her.
Logan's hands flexed on the steering wheel as he fought the urge to do exactly that. One hour to his isolated cabin where he could claim her properly and never have to let her go.
"Where are we exactly?" Zoe stretched, her blood-stained hoodie riding up to reveal a strip of smooth skin that made his mouth go dry.
"The safehouse I mentioned. There are good, trusting people here who know what you're going through." Logan forced himself to open the driver's door, stepping into the cool mountain air before she could completely unravel his control. "They'll help you learn to manage your wolf."
He walked around to her door, hyperaware of how her expression dimmed again. The hope in her eyes flickered and died, replaced by something that looked dangerously close to abandonment.
"You're really leaving." Not a question.
Logan opened her door, extending his hand to help her out. The moment her fingers touched his, electricity shot through him. Her scent shifted, arousal mixing with her natural sweetness until he had to clench his jaw to maintain control of his body.
