by Julie Hall
I huffed. “Okay, fine. I can’t believe I even have to ask this. Your self-control problem specifically pertaining to your attraction to me. Remember how you could hardly keep your hands off me? I just wanted to make sure that was all squared away now that we’re back. Because you’re still acting a little strange. Is that specific enough for you?”
My hands fisted.
“Oh, that. Yes, I believe that’s something I have worked out now. I appreciate your concern.” He was mocking me with that smooth smile of his.
“Logan, seriously, this is not funny. I don’t appreciate being laughed at.”
“Do you know how adorable you are when you get annoyed?”
Argh, not this again! Aggravation wrestled with confusion over his words. Why was he saying this?
He wasn’t done. “You get this cute little scrunched line between your eyebrows that makes you impossible to take seriously. And you put your hand on your hip like you really mean business. It makes you almost irresistible.”
“I do not do that!” I took a quick look down and found I did in fact have a hand planted firmly on one hip. I quickly straightened my arm. “Um, I guess this means you are still having problems in the area of, um,” I used my hand to gesture again because words failed me. Adorable? Irresistible? Was he on something?
“I wouldn’t call it a problem. Well, to be honest, I did at first. In the beginning I thought it was a huge problem.”
I looked away. Geez, don’t be scared to tell me what you really think. But I wasn’t really expecting where he took the conversation next.
“I was your mentor and constantly struggling to stay professional during training because I didn’t know whether I wanted to yell at you or kiss you silent sometimes.”
“Kiss me?” I squeaked out. “Mentor? Wait, I was just talking about the most recent issue. Are you really going there right now? Wait, where exactly are you going?”
Do. Not. Hyperventilate.
Logan plowed ahead as if he hadn’t heard a thing I said. “And then you took matters into your own hands the first time we went to Earth and the problem, as you call it, only got worse, making me think we were bonded and you’d be stuck with a broken person when you deserved so much more. But now that I’ve acknowledged the problem, I don’t see it that way anymore.”
I wished my voice wasn’t such a squeak. “You don’t?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then what do you consider it now?” Was it getting hot in here?
“A challenge.”
“A challenge?”
Logan nodded. He took a few leisurely steps forward, invading my personal space in a way that should have caused me to move back. But my brain was cycling the words kiss, irresistible, and challenge, and it wasn’t functioning beyond that.
“Yes, Audrey, a challenge. Something worth waiting for. Something worth fighting for.”
“Waiting? Fighting?”
“Yes,” he nodded slowly, “waiting and fighting.”
I stared back. My mind was blown. He was saying everything I wanted him to say but had never expected to hear.
Warm hands reached forward to cup my cheeks. Tingles of his emotions mixed with my own, and as always, it was difficult to discern which were his and which were my own.
“You’re worth waiting for, Audrey. You’re worth fighting for. I should have been clearer about that a long time ago. I’m sorry I waited so long.”
With a half-step forward and a guided tilt of my chin, his lips descended on mine without first garnering permission. He tasted of peppermint as he gently coaxed my response. A hand left my cheek to wrap around my waist and pull me closer. The onslaught of heightened emotions, both Logan’s and my own, was a leap beyond overwhelming—something I’d never experienced before. I’d been kissed, but this—this was something more than a simple kiss.
As my lips responded to his invitation, my arms, which had been hanging limply at my sides, found their way to him without thought.
One hand boldly inched up his neck to find its home in his hair, while the other bunched the material of his T-shirt at his waist. He made a pleased noise deep in his chest as he deepened the kiss. As connected as we were, I was pleased he was pleased and returned his fervor without further thought and as if nothing else existed.
Each brush and pressure of Logan’s lips quickened my heart a fraction more than the one before. I moved forward and slanted my head back in a silent plea for more. Logan’s hand tenderly cradled the back of my head as I forced mine not to fist in his amazingly soft hair.
I was impossibly out of control, but I got the sense Logan had never been more in control. Each stroke of his hand along my back and each guided move of my neck perfectly complemented the others to invade my senses without pushing us too far.
When he finally tried to pull back from our kiss, I greedily refused to relinquish my hold, my lips unsatisfied with the length of their taste. He only got out the first syllable of my name before my treacherous hand fisted in his hair and brought him back to me.
I sighed into his lips when he gave up his fight and obliged me for a few more precious moments. The hand on my lower back pulled me impossibly closer. I tilted my head to stay connected to him.
Logan’s emotions flowed through me freely like blood through veins, and the first indication that he was losing control seeped through the bond. I both welcomed and feared his release of control. But before that moment occurred, he ripped himself from my grasp.
“Don’t.”
He held a hand up as if to bar me from coming any closer.
We stood, staring at each other. Our breaths quickened. As his arm lowered and Logan’s mouth quirked in a small smile, it hit me. I gasped and it echoed throughout the empty gym.
“You bonded us,” I yelled the accusation at him. My arm moved of its own volition. I slapped him hard across the side of the face, and then I stumbled a few shaky steps back.
He didn’t move as the reddening spot appeared across his face. His smile only grew, as if the mark appearing on his cheek were a badge of honor rather than shame.
“Why yes, I’m fairly certain we are bonded now. It probably would have happened with even less . . . shall we say ‘energy’? But I appreciate your vigor. Rules out any chances of it not taking.”
My eyes grew large. My nose flared as I sucked in a breath of outrage. Vigor? He had some nerve.
“Logan, this isn’t like kidnapping a date for prom. This is forever we’re talking about. This is serious.”
My mind raced with what I knew about being bonded in this realm—the heavenly equivalent to engagement could be made with just one simple kiss. It was hard enough when we only thought we’d bonded, but this time it was for real. We’d feel more connected to each other now than ever. There might be side effects my currently muddled mind couldn’t remember.
One thing I knew for sure, it was going to be extremely hard to unstick myself from Logan.
Was that what I really wanted? I didn’t know. Since ditching him as my trainer I’d not allowed myself to get this far down the rabbit hole of thought in our relationship. I wasn’t sure if we were suited even to date, let alone spend the rest of eternity together.
I think I’m going to be sick.
“Kidnapping a prom date? Is that a thing? Wait, are you saying you want me to take you on a date first?” Brows drawn, he appeared genuinely confused. Granted, it wasn’t a strong analogy, but it was the only one I could come up with on the spot.
“Ha,” I let out a bitter laugh. “Yes, dates do usually come before you commit yourself to someone for eternity . . . but that is not the point here. Do you even fully grasp what you’ve just done? And without my consent?”
“I’m well aware of the implications and ramifications of my actions.” The smile, which had slipped a fraction, amped back up.
Logan leaned a shoulder against a practice dummy and crossed his arms smugly. “And I don’t know if you can claim there was no consen
t. You could have pushed me away immediately if you wanted, but that’s not what happened, did it?” His raised brows dared me to deny it.
“But that . . . it was . . .” I sputtered and stuttered until finding my true voice. “It doesn’t matter how I reacted. I wasn’t given a choice.” I stomped my foot for emphasis. A move which surprised me, and only seemed to ramp up Logan’s amusement.
“Oh, I believe your reaction matters a great deal when it comes to bonding.”
I took two steps forward with the intent to acquaint his cheek with the palm of my hand again, but he caught it mid swing and used my momentum against me, spinning me so my back was pressed tightly against his chest. I found myself trapped in his arms.
I struggled in his hold, but he dodged all my moves. Not surprising, since I’d learned most of them from him.
“Agh!” I shouted. “Will you just let me go already?”
But he kept me immobile, grasping my forearms and pulling them tight against my chest. His bare hands against my arms caused his emotions to leak into me, and they caused me to squirm even more. As my frustration built, so did my confusion over whether I wanted to escape his hold or burrow into it.
“What is wrong with you?” I managed to get out. “You’re aloof, then sweet, then angry, and now professing your undying love for me. You switch from hot to cold like you’re changing a pair of shoes. How do you expect me to take anything you say seriously?”
“No more flipping between hot and cold. Only hot now.”
“You drive me insane.”
“But only in the best way possible.”
“You’re delusional.”
“I don’t think so.”
“What delusional person ever does?” I pulled against his hold.
“Audrey,” Logan whispered into my ear, his soft breath tickling its fine hairs. “Don’t you think it’s time we stopped fighting and just faced what is right in front of us?”
“What are you talking about?” I stilled. I knew exactly what he was talking about. I just didn’t want to concede.
“Our kiss proved our mutual attraction toward one another. I may have surprised you with it, but it wasn’t forced. You reacted as passionately to me as I did to you.”
“So? You can be attracted to someone and not want to be bonded to him forever. You can be attracted to someone and not be in love with him.”
If I had been facing him, I would have been screaming into his face. His surprise and sudden sadness crashed into me through the link. It was quiet after I spoke. Only my ragged breaths were echoed throughout the gym.
“You’re right,” Logan said softly into my ear. “Attraction isn’t everything. But I needed to prove there was at least that. For now I’ll wait.”
“Wait for what?”
“Wait to see if you have a change of heart. Whatever you’ve been told about bonding, there is always a choice. Even if it’s only on the subconscious level. If you don’t choose me, the bond will cease to exist, and you have nothing to worry about. You can go on your way dating as many princes and dukes and whoever else you don’t truly have feelings for as you want in order to hide from what’s real.” I heard rather than saw the smile return to his face. “But if you do have true feelings for me, things are about to get interesting.”
My world spun, and then Logan stole another kiss, to which I responded far too eagerly and which ended far too quickly.
His hands gently cradled my cheeks. “The damage has already been done,” he said. “That last kiss was because I’m not sure when you’ll let me within close proximity again.”
He stepped back and released me. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at me. “Think about what I’ve said. I’m not going away this time, Audrey. You can’t dismiss me as easily as before. I’m prepared to wait or to fight, whichever the season calls for, but I promise you one thing: my waiting period has an expiration date. When that time comes, I plan to fight for you like my very existence depends on it.”
He stared into my eyes, allowing his words to really sink in.
I gulped.
He nodded as if satisfied and relaxed against the practice dummy again. There was a teasing note in his next words. “And now that we’ll be spending more organized time together, I’m sure we’ll have lots of opportunities to get this straightened out one way or another.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked cautiously.
“Your new training setup. We’ll be spending a lot more time together again.” Nothing short of a wicked smile broke across his lips, and he leaned in close. I didn’t have the good sense to step back. “That means you’re mine again,” he whispered.
“That,” I floundered in my response for a few moments, “is not exactly true. We’re only buddy training. You’re not my mentor anymore.”
“Exactly.”
While I stood in a state of semi-shock, he cocked a smile and turned for the door. He waved a hand without looking back. “I’ll see you around.”
I stared at the door behind him, unable to pull my unruly thoughts and emotions into coherence.
Did that really just happen?
25
Only Time Will Tell
Hours later, I stopped to take a breath.
Destruction. Carnage. Everywhere. Scattered limbs. Splintered wood. Weapons embedded in the walls, floor, and even the high ceiling.
Practice dummies shredded.
I stood in the middle of the wreckage, panting, with sweat not just dripping but drenching me. Had I been in my right mind, I surely would have been disgusted by my own appearance. Even after all this time as a hunter, I still wasn’t a fan of excessive sweat.
I looked down to find myself holding a mace—a club-like weapon of war with a bulbous spiked metal head.
What in the world was I doing with a mace?
My mind was so distracted I hadn’t even been aware of what I’d been doing for the last . . . well, however long it had been since Logan left me standing struck dumb in the remote training gym.
But seriously, a mace? That was a brute-force kind of weapon, and not at all my style.
I snuck a glance at the practice dummies littered across the floor like fallen foes. Most were not only missing appendages, but had their lifelike innards splattered all over as well.
Gross.
Dropping the handle I’d been clutching, I flexed my fingers to loosen the stiffened joints.
“Oh my,” came a soft gasp from behind me.
I turned to see Romona surveying my handiwork.
“Temporary insanity.” I laid a hand on my forehead to massage the start of a headache.
“I should hope so.”
I chewed on my lower lip, not knowing where to start the cleanup, but then I remembered where she’d been. I snapped to attention.
“How are they? Did they make it to the hospital all right? How’s Grandpa? Did you find anything out about the other family? Have you been to the healing center yet?”
This time I gave Romona more than a cursory glance. She’d cleaned herself up, and except for a cut running from her left brow to her hairline, she looked unharmed.
“Whoa. That’s a lot of questions. I haven’t been to the healing center yet, but I don’t have much that needs to be attended to. The short answer about our family is it looks like it’s going to be all right, but we have some things to talk about.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” I let a self-deprecating laugh slip. Ever since Logan had stepped out those doors, there’d been a tugging sensation deep in my gut, pulling me to follow him. I’d pulverized everything I could get my hands on in an attempt to ignore it. I had an uneasy feeling that following the tugging would lead me to exactly where he was.
Stupid bond.
I couldn’t believe I was going to have to explain to my grandmother how it had been formed once again. Well, technically for the first time—but it was the second time I’d have to confess to her about it.
If I
had to put words to the emotions I was feeling, I’d label them as panicked embarrassment. There were other, less aggressive sentiments churning inside, but I didn’t want to deal with them yet.
Romona’s eyebrow quirked. “Is that so?”
I blew out a hot breath and twisted my limp ponytail into a tight bun. “I’m afraid so.”
“Why do I have a strange feeling we’re about to repeat a conversation we’ve already had?”
“I think that’s called intuition.”
“So, it’s more than just Logan being assigned as one of your companion trainers?”
“How do you guys find out this information so quickly?” I cracked my neck to hide my irritation.
“Some of us actually check in with our superiors from time to time.”
I grimaced. “I do tend to overlook the chain of command sometimes, don’t I?”
“I’m assuming that question was rhetorical.”
My response was a stare.
“But in this case,” Romona said, “I actually ran into Logan on my way over here.”
“You did?” The interest in my voice was unmistakable.
“Yes,” she answered slowly.
“Oh.” I attempted to fake nonchalance. Most likely failed. “And what did he say?”
“That you’ve moved on from mentoring to companion training. And he and I had been assigned your training partners.”
“That’s it?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Pretty much. He was on his way to check on Alrik.”
I experienced a quick stab of regret for not checking on Alrik when I was in the healing center, but the rest of the conversation drove it from my head. “He omitted something of import.” I shook my head and muttered under my breath, “Coward.” He was probably scared to admit what he’d done to my own grandmother. As well he should be.
“What was that last part?”
“Nothing. I’ll explain the rest to you. Maybe not here.”
“Right then,” she continued. “Let’s get you some fresh air. You obviously need it.”
I cast a look around the chaos I’d created. She waved a dismissive hand in the air. “It’s not going anywhere. We can deal with this mess after you’ve had a proper break.”
