Page 13 of Marked For A Bite
The rational part of her brain knew Logan was fine here in the forest and would eventually come out—she'd witnessed his lethal efficiency firsthand. But the newly awakened wolf in her whimpered at the separation, an ache spreading through her bones like a physical withdrawal.
The truth hit her with startling clarity. She felt the safest when Logan was near. Not because she was helpless, but because something fundamental in her recognized him as her anchor in this chaotic new world. Without him beside her, the forest felt hostile instead of magical.
"Okay, Raymond," she whispered to herself. "New plan."
Retracing her steps proved easier than following Logan's scent trail. Within fifteen minutes, she emerged from the treeline to find the safehouse still glowing with warm yellow light. Tabitha had gone inside, leaving Logan's Jeep sitting in the gravel driveway like a promise.
Zoe marched to the vehicle with renewed determination. She grabbed her backpack from where it had fallen beside the Jeep, then climbed in and clicked all the locks. The familiar scent of Logan's cologne and something uniquely masculine enveloped her like a protective embrace.
"If he thinks he's ditching me here, he's about to learn how stubborn a hybrid can be," she muttered, peeling off her blood-stained hoodie.
The crimson stains made her stomach clench as memories of the night's violence flashed through her mind. She'd killed someone. Actually taken a human life with claws that had sprouted from her fingertips. The weight of that reality should have crushed her completely, but instead, she now felt oddly...proud. She'd protected Logan. She'd fought beside him as an equal partner rather than a helpless victim.
That's not normal human behavior,she acknowledged, pulling a fitted white t-shirt from her backpack. The soft cotton clung to her curves as she tugged it over her head, accentuating her breasts and narrow waist.But then again, I'm not entirely human.
Once dressed, Zoe reached into her backpack and withdrew the two worn photographs. Her fingers traced the edges reverently as she studied the images in the Jeep's dim interior lighting.
The first showed her mother's radiant smile beside a much younger version of herself. Her mother's ebony skin glowed with happiness and her brown eyes crinkled with laughter. "Mom, I wish you'd prepared me for this," Zoe whispered. "But I understand why you kept his secret."
The second photograph depicted her father—the mysterious white man with penetrating blue eyes and an aura of contained power that now screamed 'wolf shifter' to her awakened senses. She'd always wondered why her artistic eye had been drawn to Pacific Northwest tribal art, particularly pieces featuring wolves. Now she understood the genetic pull.
"Dad, wherever you are—dead or alive—I need guidance." Zoe's crescent moon birthmark began to warm against her wrist as she spoke. "Logan makes me feel safe and complete, but he's running scared. How do I make him understand that I'm not some fragile flower?"
The birthmark's heat intensified, pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat. Whether it was her parents' spirits responding or simply her wolf acknowledging the truth, Zoe felt a surge of confidence flow through her veins.
When Logan returned from his brooding session in the forest, she'd be waiting. And this time, she wouldn't let himwalk away without answers about what 'mate' meant in the wolf shifter world—and what it meant for their future.
Fifteen minutes later, the sound of boots made Zoe's pulse race. Logan emerged from the treeline like some forest god, his grey henley stretching across his broad chest and his dark jeans molded to his powerful thighs. Moonlight caught the auburn highlights in his hair, and those deep green eyes found hers through the windshield with laser precision.
He soon knocked on the driver's side window with knuckles that bore faint scratches. The sound reverberated through the Jeep like a command.
Zoe hit the unlock button, her heart hammering as Logan settled into the driver's seat. The confined space filled with his scent, making her wolf practically purr with contentment.
His gaze swept over her fitted white t-shirt with barely restrained hunger, lingering on how the fabric clung to her curves before snapping back to her face. The air between them crackled with tension thick enough to cut.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?" His tone held that commanding edge that made heat pool low in her belly.
"Waiting for you." Zoe lifted her chin defiantly, refusing to be intimidated by the predatory intensity radiating from him.
"You should be in the safehouse settling in for the night."
"Well, I'm not." She crossed her arms, which only emphasized her breasts beneath the thin cotton. Logan's jaw clenched as he forced his eyes back to her face. "I'm not leaving you, and I'm going wherever you're going."
"That's not what's supposed to happen." His fingers gripped the leather steering wheel with white-knuckled control.
"Okay, then enlighten me. What is supposed to happen?"
Logan exhaled slowly, like a man fighting for patience. "My Alpha ordered that you stay here. Kieran will meet you tomorrow to start integrating you into our pack for protection."
His Alpha.The words sent an unexpected spike of anger through Zoe's chest. She didn't want Logan following someone else's orders about her life.
"I only want your protection." The words slipped out, raw with honesty.
Logan's eyes darkened, his pupils dilating as her scent spiked with arousal. The Jeep's interior suddenly felt too small and too intimate.
"That's really not a good idea." His voice dropped an octave, rough with restraint. "I don't know how I'll explain this to Kieran."
"I can explain it to him myself." Zoe's hands trembled slightly as she spoke, but her voice remained steady. "It's my choice, not yours or his. This is my life, and I get the ultimate say in what happens to it."
