Page 46 of Marked For A Bite
Logan approached slowly, his combat boots crunching deliberately on fallen leaves to announce his presence. The last thing he wanted was to startle her when she was this emotionally raw.
Without a word, he dropped to his knees beside her and wrapped his arms around her trembling form. She melted into his embrace immediately, her face pressing into the hollow of his throat as fresh tears soaked through his black henley.
He didn't try to fix anything with words. Didn't offer empty platitudes or false reassurances. Instead, he simply held her, letting his solid presence anchor her while the emotional storm raged through her system.
This is what mates do,his wolf reminded him with satisfaction.We weather the storms together.
Minutes passed before Zoe finally spoke, her voice muffled against his neck. "I can't believe I got to live a happy, normal life while my dad was locked up somewhere, probably suffering for twenty-five years."
His arms tightened around her. "You can't blame yourself for living your life," he said firmly. "Your mother clearly wanted you to have that normal, happy childhood despite whatever circumstances led to your father's imprisonment."
She pulled back enough to meet his eyes, and the guilt swimming in those hazel depths made his chest ache. "But what if he's been waiting for me? What if he thinks I abandoned him, or that I don't care enough to find him?"
"Hey." Logan cupped her face in his large hands, his thumbs brushing away fresh tears. "Your father has no idea you even exist as anything other than a baby. For all he knows, you're still living safely with your mother, completely unaware of this world."
Some of the anguish in her expression eased at his words.
"Besides," Logan continued, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, "we're going to find him. I promise you that."
Zoe's fingers curled into his henley, anchoring herself to his solid strength. "I want to go back inside and get more information from Rhea. Find out if she saw anything else in her vision, or if she knows about historical events that might have led to this."
Pride surged through Logan at her ability to push past the emotional upheaval and focus on action.That's my warrior.
"Good plan," he agreed, helping her to her feet. "We'll get whatever intelligence we can, then head back to Kieran's to start mapping potential locations."
They walked back into Rhea's hut hand-in-hand, Logan's protective instincts humming with satisfaction at the contact. Inside, Rhea and Lena looked up expectantly as they settled back at the small wooden table.
"Did you see anything else in your vision?" Zoe asked without preamble, her professional curator instincts taking charge. "Any details that might help us locate him?"
Rhea's violet eyes grew distant with concentration. "I saw markings on your father's arm—tribal symbols that identify him as the Delta of the Granite Ridge pack."
Logan's tactical mind immediately began working. Granite Ridge pack territory bordered Silvercrest pack lands to the northeast, a mountainous region known for its warrior culture and deep cave systems. If someone wanted to hide a prisoner for decades, those mountains offered countless possibilities.
"I also had another vision as you stormed out that was triggered by your raw emotions," Rhea continued, her voice gentling. "Your mother, pregnant and crying. Your father sending her away from here, as if he had no other choice but to do so for her protection. And for their baby's."
Lena leaned forward with sudden understanding. "That aligns with the Severance laws. Mating with humans on pack lands is strictly forbidden, especially for someone with a leadership position." She paused briefly. "Or at least it was before Kieran became the acting Alpha three months ago. So twenty-five years ago, your father would have been imprisoned if they found out he had a human mate here, and the human mate would have been killed without hesitation."
"Which means as the Delta of the Granite Ridge pack, he would have had to choose between staying with your mother and bringing Council punishment down on her and you or send her away somewhere safe to protect you both," Logan finished grimly.
Zoe's hand found his under the table, her grip desperate. "So the 'ultimate sacrifice for protection' mentioned in the prophecy refers to him giving up his family to keep us safe."
"But that still doesn't explain the ancient bloodlines or tragic circumstances," Zoe added, frustration creeping back into her voice.
Logan squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Let's focus on finding your father first. Once we get him out of wherever he's being held captive, he can hopefully fill in the missing pieces of the prophecy."
Rhea nodded approvingly. "The truth will reveal itself when the family is reunited. The prophecy has waited three centuries—a few more days won't matter."
As they prepared to leave Rhea's hut, Logan's mind was already shifting into mission planning mode. Granite Ridge territory. Underground imprisonment. Twenty-five years of captivity suggested serious magical or physical restraints.
This rescue would require every skill he'd honed as an enforcer—and then some.
Logan pulled his phone from his pocket as they stepped out of Rhea's hut, the autumn afternoon light filtering through the forest canopy above them. His fingers moved efficiently across the keypad, muscle memory from countless mission reports.
"Kieran," he said when his Alpha answered on the first ring. "We're heading back to your place now. We need to plan a rescue mission."
The silence on the other end lasted exactly three seconds before Kieran's controlled voice came through. "Who are we extracting?"
"Zoe's father. Former Delta of Granite Ridge pack. He's been imprisoned somewhere on their territory for twenty-five years."
