Page 22 of Marked For A Bite
"We need a break," he announced abruptly, his tactical mind demanding space to process the implications of her rapid development. "Lunch, then we'll work on more techniques."
Because teaching her to transform into her true nature would mean teaching her to kill. And Logan wasn't sure his heart could survive watching his bright, fierce mate learn to carry the same darkness he'd been carrying for a decade.
NINE
ZOE
The heat inside Logan's cabin hit Zoe like a wall after the crisp autumn air outside. Without air conditioning, the space held the warmth of the day, making her sweat-dampened shirt cling uncomfortably to her skin. She tugged at the hem of her black long-sleeved shirt, trying to create some airflow, but it was futile.
God, I must look like a mess,she thought, acutely aware of the way her ponytail had come loose during training, with curls escaping to frame her flushed face. Logan, meanwhile, barely looked affected by their intense training session. Sure, there was a light sheen of perspiration across his forehead and his black henley clung to his powerful chest in ways that made her heart race, but he moved with the same controlled grace he'd displayed throughout their training.
The unfairness of it rankled. Here she was, practically dripping with sweat and probably smelling like she'd run a marathon, while he looked like he'd just finished a casual warm-up.
"Thirsty?" Logan asked, already moving toward the kitchen with that efficient purposefulness that seemed to govern all his actions.
"Very," Zoe admitted, following him and trying not to stare at the way his cargo pants hugged his muscular thighs. The training session had been brutal, but in the most exhilarating way possible. Every muscle in her body ached, yet she felt more alive than she had in years.
Logan filled a large glass with water and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed during the exchange, and that familiar electric current shot through her nerves, making her breath hitch slightly. The mate bond pulsed between them, stronger now after hours of moving and training together, existing in perfect synchronization.
She gulped the water greedily, not caring about appearances. The cool liquid soothed her parched throat, and she found herself draining the entire glass in what felt like seconds.
Logan's deep chuckle rumbled through the small kitchen. "Easy there. You'll make yourself sick."
"Can't help it," Zoe panted, setting down the empty glass. "I feel like I could drink a lake and eat a horse."
"That's normal." Logan moved around the kitchen with practiced efficiency, pulling out bread, turkey, cheese, and various condiments. "Your wolf's been dormant for twenty-five years. Now that she's waking up, your metabolism is shifting to match. You'll need more food, more water, more everything for a while."
Her wolf.The phrase still felt foreign, like trying on clothes that didn't quite fit yet. She watched Logan construct sandwiches with the same methodical precision he applied to everything else, each movement deliberate and controlled.
"Is that why I still feel so..." she searched for the right word, "energized? Like I could run another ten miles?"
"Exactly." Logan slid a plate across the counter to her, the sandwich piled high with meat and vegetables. "Your body is remembering what it was designed to do. All those years offeeling restless since puberty, of needing to move and not knowing why—that was her preparing to wake up."
Zoe bit into the sandwich and nearly groaned with pleasure. The flavors exploded across her taste buds with an intensity that surprised her. Everything tasted sharper, more vibrant, as though her senses were dialing themselves up to eleven.
"This is really good," she mumbled around a mouthful of food. "Did you do something special to this turkey?"
Logan's lips quirked into what might have been a smile. "Just regular deli meat. Your enhanced senses are sharpening each day."
Oh yeah, that's right, her enhanced senses.Another piece of the puzzle that was her new reality. Zoe devoured the sandwich with an appetite that would have embarrassed her yesterday but felt perfectly natural now. Logan watched her eat with those intense green eyes, and she caught something that looked suspiciously like pride in his expression.
"You're progressing faster than I expected," he said, taking a more measured bite of his own sandwich. "Most new shifters struggle with the physical demands of training, but you're adapting incredibly well."
Warmth bloomed in Zoe's chest at his approval. Her wolf preened under the compliment, practically purring. She hadn't realized how much she'd needed to hear that she was doing well, and that she wasn't completely hopeless at this new life that had been thrust upon her.
"I've always been stubborn when I set my mind to something," she said, finished with her sandwich and already eyeing the remaining ingredients for another. "My mom used to say I was like a dog with a bone."
"I've noticed. And it's more like a wolf with prey," Logan corrected, and there was something almost admiring in his tone that made a heat pool within her.
She made herself another sandwich, this one even larger than the first. Logan didn't comment on her appetite, but she caught him refilling her water glass without being asked. The small gesture of care made something warm and fuzzy unfurl in her.
"So what's next?" she asked between bites. "More obstacles? Target practice? Please tell me you have throwing knives hidden somewhere."
Logan's expression shifted, becoming more serious. "Shifting."
The single word made Zoe's stomach clench with anxiety. She set down her half-finished sandwich, her appetite suddenly gone.
"That's the part I'm worried about," she admitted. "My wolf... she doesn't listen to me. It's like she's fighting me for control."
