Page 28 of Marked For A Bite
Zoe stumbled backward, her hand falling away from his chest as the full weight of his revelation crashed over her. "The High Council wants me dead. They were going to send you to—" She couldn't even finish the sentence.
"Those human hunters at your house," Logan said grimly, stepping closer when she retreated. "I discovered they were sent there by the High Council."
"I don't understand." The words came out strangled. "I've lived my entire life thinking I was human. My mother never told me about my father's true nature and never gave me any indication I was different until that letter."
Logan's expression darkened, every line of his body radiating the controlled violence that made him so dangerous. "Your father. What did your mother tell you about him?"
"Nothing, really." Zoe wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold despite the warmth of the cabin. "She always made it sound like he died when I was a baby. Whenever I asked questions, she'd get this look—sad but also scared, like talking about him might summon something terrible."
"Maybe it would have," Logan said quietly. "If the Council is tracking hybrids, if they found out your father had a daughter..."
The thought made Zoe's knees weak. "You think they killed my mother too?"
"I don't know." Logan's honesty was both comforting and terrifying. "But we need to find out. And we need to tell Kieran and Maya."
"Why? What can they do?"
Logan moved closer. "If the High Council is using human hunters to eliminate threats and they're willing to kill innocents to maintain their secrets, then the corruption runs deeper than any of us suspected. And that means you're in more danger than I originally thought."
Zoe felt her world tilting again. The foundation she'd thought was becoming more solid was now crumbling beneath her feet. First discovering she was part wolf, then finding her mate, and now learning that the governing body of Logan's world had marked her for death before she'd even known what she was.
"What does this mean for us?" she asked, hating how small her voice sounded.
Logan's eyes blazed with possessive intensity. "It means I'm never letting you out of my sight again. It means anyone who wants to hurt you will have to go through me first." His thumb brushed over the new mark on her neck. "And it means we're going to tear down whoever is responsible for this corruption."
TWELVE
LOGAN
Logan pulled out his phone as the early evening light filtered through the reinforced windows of his cabin, casting long shadows across the living room. The partial mate mark on Zoe's neck caught the golden light, and his wolf stirred possessively at the sight.She was his—almost completely his—and soon he would officially claim her.
But Logan's tactical mind kicked into high gear as he dialed Kieran's number. First, they had bigger problems to solve.
"Kieran," Logan said when his Alpha picked up on the second ring. "We need to meet. There are things about Zoe and the High Council that you need to know."
"How urgent?" Kieran's voice carried the weight of leadership, even through the phone.
Logan's eyes found Zoe where she sat on his leather couch. The trust in her hazel eyes when she looked at him still caught him off guard—no one had looked at him like that in fifteen years. "Extremely."
"My cabin then. Maya's been wanting to talk to Zoe anyway, and Lena has some theories about hybrids she wants to discuss." There was a pause, then Kieran's voice warmed slightly. "We'll make it a dinner. Time you properly introduced your mate."
Heat flared in Logan's chest at Kieran's casual acceptance of what was between Logan and Zoe. Maya must've told Kieran that Zoe was Logan's mate.
"We'll be there soon," Logan said, then ended the call.
Zoe looked up from where she'd been examining her wrist—her crescent moon birthmark that had been glowing faintly since her first shift earlier today. "What did he say?"
"Dinner invitation. They want to meet you properly." Logan moved to the window, scanning the treeline with practiced efficiency. "But we're going on foot. My Jeep's been compromised—those hunters know what I drive now."
"Smart." Zoe stood up and moved to where I'd put her tennis shoes by the front door. "How far is it?"
"Three miles through pack territory." Logan pulled on his combat boots and then grabbed some of his knives, concealing them against his body. "Good opportunity for me to teach you territory navigation."
They stepped outside into the crisp autumn evening, and Logan activated his cabin's security system with quick, precise movements. The fortress he'd built around himself had become their sanctuary now, but he knew it was probably temporary unfortunately. Whatever was coming next would require them to be mobile and adaptable.
"Use your nose," Logan instructed as they set off into the forest. "What do you smell?"
Zoe closed her eyes for a moment, her face tilting toward the breeze. When she opened them again, there was wonder in her expression. "Everything's so much stronger now. The pine, the earth, something musky that might be deer..." She paused, concentrating. "And something else. Something that feels like... home?"
