Page 138 of Legacy of Temptation

Oh, shit. That video report had been brutally slanted, and she’d been so sure of her facts that she’d been almost arrogant. Logan must hate her.

“I’m so sorry, Logan.” She caught his hand and refused to let go, desperate to show him that things had changed. “I was wrong. And even the things I was right about…weren’t exactly as I was told.”

He shook his head and let out a bitter sound, but at least he didn’t try to get away from her. “But you weren’t wrong. Not about all of it, anyway.”

“Listen to me, Logan.” Her own experience with her parents had changed her perspective a little. “Don’t pay any attention to that video. I found out the truth just a couple of hours ago. The Aegis sent your mom with instructions to seduce Thanatos. They always told us she went rogue, but she didn’t. They sacrificed her because they thought she was expendable. Then they sent a team to sacrifice you, thinking it would stop the rest of the Seals from breaking.” She twined her fingers with his and held his hand in both of hers. “What they did was unforgivable. Editing that DART video was unforgivable too. The Aegis…they aren’t what I thought they were. And none of you are either. I’m sorry.”

Waves lapping at the beach formed a rhythmic pattern as his silence hung in the air, making her sweat. What was he thinking?Didhe hate her?

“I know it’s not the same thing,” she said, “but I’ve been going through stuff with my parents too.”

“Did you get my message about your nightmare demon?”

Obviously, he’d figured it out before she had. “Yeah. And it turns out my parents and Sig’s dad thought it would be a great idea to saddle me with a demon in exchange for good fortune for all of us.” She let out a frustrated growl. How could they have done that to her without her consent? And why had they kept it from her? “I think my parents’ hearts were in the right place…sort of. But Lukas lied to them. He didn’t tell them that if the spell binding the demon to me ever became severed, all the luck would pour out like spilled milk.”

“I’ve got Aleka looking into a way to fix it.”

“Aleka?” Eva looked up at him. “Why would she be able to find an answer?”

He watched a seabird fly overhead. “She’s got a doctorate in ancient demon civilizations and history. She’s good at research and has a lot of resources.”

Eva hoped his cousin was better than good. So much was at stake right now.

Deep on the horizon, the sun nearly blinded her as she searched Logan’s features for a hint of what he was thinking. There was nothing but worry in his expression. Was some of that for her? He didn’t need that on top of everything else.

“Logan? Why did you come back for me?”

He seemed surprised, like it was a trick question. “I watched the press conference. I saw you tell the truth before you stopped the video. And I saw Mason.”

She shuddered. Seeing him die like that had been one of the most awful things she’d ever witnessed.

“Thank you,” she said. “You saved my life.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” Prying one hand away from hers, he cupped her cheek with his palm, and she leaned in, craving his touch. He dropped his arm and let out a long, shaky breath. “Being here with me is enough. If I lose Cujo, I don’t know what I’ll do. Limos just lost her mount, and I don’t want to go through that. Not alone.”

The agony in his voice was torture. She wanted to help, wanted to take away his pain. She wished she had something to offer, but nothing short of a cure would help.

“I’m so sorry for what you’re going through. For what The Aegis has done to you and your family. What more can I do, Logan?”

He answered with a long pause, his intense stare holding her captive in the sand. Then he answered with his lips. The gentle crash of ocean waves faded into the background as her focus shifted solely to Logan and how his mouth felt against hers. Firm, yet soft. Demanding, yet yielding.

“You feel so good,” he whispered against her mouth. “Like you were made for me.”

Ha!Take that, Maja.

Unless…unless he’d said the same thing to her.

“Logan?” She pulled back, aware that maybe now wasn’t the best time for a deep conversation, but everything was so fresh in her mind. “About you and Maja…”

He closed his eyes, and her heart stopped. “I loved her,” he admitted, and then he opened his eyes again, and the intensity in those clear depths restarted her heart. “But I was young and dumb. Looking back, I can see we were never right for each other. I spent almost a year pretending to be something I wasn’t. I was neverme. You…you know what I am, and you’re still here. My grandma Harvester…she isn’t very sentimental, but she once told me that everything happens for a reason. It wasn’t one of those eye-roller things people just say to make you feel better. She said not everyone finds their person or soulmate in each of their lives, but when you do find them, you know.” He smiled fondly. “She said she’d send me a sign if I was too dense to figure it out. But she doesn’t need to. Maja wasn’t my person. You are. I don’t know how I know that. I just do.”

If her clothes had been made of hormones, they’d have melted right off her.

All her life, if she’d wanted something, she went after it. It had worked for her, probably because of the nightmare demon luck. But fighting for what she wanted was also just part of who she was. If Logan was right, and she was his person, he’d better get used to the woman who fought for what she wanted.

And what she wanted was Logan. Right here. Right now.

Logan hadn’t laid himself so bare since he confessed to Maja that he wasn’t entirely human. His heart hadn’t beat for any woman since she broke it.

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