Page 59 of Marked For A Bite
Her father shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I don't want to be a burden."
"Any family of my mate's is my responsibility too," Logan said with that iron-clad certainty. "You're under my protection now."
Something passed between her father and Logan in that moment—a recognition between two warriors who understood the sacred nature of protecting what mattered. Her father's blue eyes studied Logan with respect.
"I can see why she chose you," her father said quietly.
"Come on, Dad." Zoe stood and offered him her arm for support. "Let's get you somewhere you can actually heal."
The drive back to Logan's cabin passed in comfortable silence, her father's presence in the backseat feeling both surreal and absolutely right.My father is alive. I have my father back.The thoughts kept circling through her mind like a mantra.
Logan's cabin soon welcomed them with its fortress-like security and warm interior lighting. Her mate immediately went about preparing the small spare room that had apparently sat empty.
"I've got a cot stored in the garage," Logan said, already moving with his characteristic efficiency. "I'll set it up for tonight and get you a proper bed soon."
"This is more than enough," her father insisted as Logan returned with the folding cot. "I'm just grateful to be somewhere safe with my daughter."
And I'm grateful he's alive and free and here.
Zoe watched Logan set up the small room with military precision, every movement economical and purposeful. Even performing mundane tasks, he radiated that controlled power that made her heart race.
"Goodnight, Dad," she said softly, kissing his cheek after Logan finished. "Rest well."
"Sweet dreams, baby girl."
In Logan's bedroom, Zoe tried to process the emotional whirlwind of the past hour while she took off her leather harness and clothes. Her eyes still felt swollen from crying, and her heart still ached thinking about her mother's final moments.
Mom died thinking Dad was gone forever. The exact moment his heart stopped during that brutal experiment, hers probably did too.
"I can feel you spiraling," Logan said, pulling back the covers with deliberate care. His green eyes, more golden than usual in the lamplight, studied her face. "Talk to me."
Zoe slipped between the sheets, immediately seeking the comfort of his warmth. "I keep thinking about that mate bond between them. How powerful it must have been. When they stopped his heart, she felt him die and couldn't survive it."
Logan gathered her against his chest, his strong arms creating a protective cocoon around her smaller frame. "The mate bond is the strongest connection two souls can share. What they experienced... I can't even imagine."
But I can imagine it now. If something happened to Logan, if I felt him die through our bond...
A shiver ran through her body at the thought.
"Everything happens for a reason," Logan murmured against her hair, his voice carrying that quiet conviction that always steadied her. "Focus on having your father now. Honor your mother's memory by helping this rebellion succeed and finding out which corrupt Council elder orchestrated all this suffering."
"I'm going to personally kill them," Zoe said, surprising herself with the cold certainty in her voice. "Whoever ordered those experiments, whoever separated my family—I want to watch the life leave their eyes."
Logan's arms tightened around her. "We'll take them down together. All of us. But first, we need intelligence, strategy, and patience."
Patience. Not exactly my strong suit.
"I want to see Rhea tomorrow," Zoe decided. "Fill her in on everything we learned and see if she has any other wisdom about the prophecy or the Council."
"Good idea. She might have insights about your healing abilities too."
The ancient bloodline. That must refer to Dad's mother's healing magic. And the tragic circumstances must be my parents' love story—forced apart by the Council's cruel laws.
Everything from the Lunar Prophecy finally made sense. She truly was the second part, the one whose special abilities would be enhanced by her fated mate's power. Together, they would help bridge the gap between worlds that had been artificially created three centuries ago.
We're going to tear down everything that kept families like mine apart.
Sleep finally claimed her in Logan's protective embrace, her dreams filled with visions of a beautiful woman with warm brown eyes and a bright smile—her mother, Patricia.
