Page 43 of Marked For A Bite
Zoe blinked several times, the supernatural glow gradually fading until only her natural hazel eyes remained. When she looked at Logan, tears glistened on her lashes.
"I can feel it now," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Deep in my soul. Being a fierce warrior was always my true purpose, and you..." She reached up to touch his face with trembling fingers. "You were always my true warrior, meant to be reunited in this lifetime to fight the Council and restore harmony to our shifter world."
Logan's throat tightened at the raw vulnerability in her voice, the absolute certainty that transcended logic or reasonable timeline. His wolf rumbled with deep satisfaction, finally understanding why the bond between them felt ancient and inevitable rather than new.
"Three centuries," he murmured, covering her hand with his own. "We've been waiting three centuries to find each other again."
NINETEEN
ZOE
The weight of three centuries pressed against Zoe's chest like a physical force, making each breath feel labored and significant. Her fingertips still tingled where they'd touched Logan's cheek, the connection between them humming with an energy that transcended the physical realm.
We've been together before. Not just lovers—warriors. Partners in every sense.
The certainty of it settled into her bones with the finality of truth recognized rather than learned. Every moment since Logan had broken into her Portland home suddenly made perfect sense—the instant trust, the way their bodies moved together in combat, and the feeling that she'd been waiting her entire life for him to find her.
"The Council," she whispered, her voice thick with newfound rage. "Those bastards didn't just separate our worlds three centuries ago—they ripped our souls apart."
Logan's jaw clenched, his green eyes darkening with the same fury that burned through her veins. "Which explains why refusing their kill order felt like saving something precious," he said. "My wolf knew what my conscious mind couldn't comprehend."
"And why fighting alongside you feels like coming home," Zoe continued, her hazel eyes beginning to glow with golden fire again. "My body remembers every movement because we've fought together countless times before this lifetime."
The revelation should have felt overwhelming, but instead it filled the hollow spaces inside her that had ached since puberty. Every restless night and every inexplicable moment of longing for something she couldn't name—it had all been her soul calling out for its missing half.
No wonder I picked up combat skills so quickly. No wonder shifting with him felt natural.
"I think there's more," Lena prompted gently, watching Zoe with those perceptive violet eyes. "Something else in the prophecy that's troubling you."
Zoe's gaze dropped back to the ancient scroll, her stomach knotting as she focused on the section that had made her earlier confidence falter. The symbols seemed to shift and dance, their meaning elusive and ominous.
"Yes," she admitted, frustration creeping into her voice. "There's another part, but it's... confusing. I can only make out fragments—something about ancient bloodlines, tragic circumstances, and..." She swallowed hard. "An ultimate sacrifice for protection."
Logan's entire body went rigid beside her, those protective instincts of his flaring so violently she felt them through their bond like a physical assault. "What kind of sacrifice?"
"I don't know," Zoe said, her voice small. "The symbols reference terms I don't understand, events that must have happened during the past three centuries that shaped our territory's current situation. Without that context, I'm essentially trying to read a story with half the pages missing."
Lena leaned forward, her healer's instincts apparently recognizing Zoe's growing distress. "My mentor Rhea wouldunderstand those references. She's lived through the major events of the past three centuries, and her seer abilities allow her to interpret prophecies in ways that escape the rest of us."
"Then Zoe has to go see her. Now," Logan declared.
His fierce tone sent heat surging through Zoe.God, when he gets all commanding like that...
"But I'm going with you two," he continued, already standing up. "I'm not leaving Zoe unprotected, especially when we don't understand what this sacrifice element might mean."
Kieran nodded approvingly from across the room. "Maya, Malcolm, and I will remain here and continue strategizing our next moves against the Council. If Rhea provides clarity about the prophecy's full meaning, we need to be ready to act."
Logan moved with efficient grace as he retrieved Zoe's custom leather harness from where he'd carefully set it aside. The sight of him handling her weapons with such reverence—adjusting straps and checking blade positions with the same attention he gave his own gear—made something deep and primal purr with satisfaction inside her.
He's not just protecting me. He's preparing his partner for battle.
"Arms up," Logan murmured. The subtle command sent shivers down her spine as she raised her arms, allowing him to settle the harness across her shoulders.
His large hands worked with practiced precision, securing the leather straps across her torso and thighs. When his fingers brushed against her inner thighs while adjusting the thigh straps, Zoe had to bite back a soft gasp at the electricity that shot through her system.
"Too tight?" Logan asked, though the heat in his eyes suggested he was perfectly aware of the effect his touch was having on her.
"Perfect," she breathed, meaning far more than just the fit of her harness.
