“We were so worried about you!” Cecile exclaimed. “Especially after Logan and Alexander told us it was your father.”
Up until that moment, I’d managed to push the horrific encounter with my father into the back of my mind. When Logan had carried me through the woods, everything he’d revealed distracted me from the horrors I’d experienced only an hour ago, but now that I was back at home, safe with those I loved…
Tears filled my eyes.
Cecile settled me down on the couch. “It’s okay, Dar. We’re all here. You’re safe now.”
Logan returned, rifling through the contents of the kit before pulling out antiseptic and bandages.
His sandalwood and forest scent flooded my senses. I inhaled. Just his presence calmed the panic in my chest. Using careful touches, he cleaned the blood off my face, applied salve, and bandaged the cut on my forehead.
Mike retrieved a bag of ice from the kitchen while Cecile fluffed pillows around me. Once I was cleaned up, Cecile asked tentatively, “What happened?”
I wrung my hands, my lip trembling.
“We arrived in time,” Logan cut in. I gave him a grateful smile. He went on to explain what my father had done and why. When he got to the part about finding me on the floor with my father looming over me, Mike sucked in a breath, and Cecile gasped.
Mike shook his head in disgust. “Smart thinking to text us his address, Dar. If you hadn’t, Logan and his friends wouldn’t have found you.”
Logan’s jaw locked. “He’s right. Your scent wasn’t easy to track, and the address we found for Dillon was wrong.”
“Scent?” Cecile’s eyebrows rose.
I sucked in a breath when Logan stiffened, then I forced myself to relax, remembering how trustworthy Mike and Cecile were. “You can tell them. Your secret will be safe.”
Mike cocked his head. “What secret?”
Logan took a deep breath, the couch dipping more in his direction with the movement. “Brodie, Alexander, and Jake are my pack brothers. We’re werewolves.”
It grew so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
“Come … come again?” Cecile stuttered.
“I’m not the only supernatural.” I sat up straighter.
Though I couldn’t be sure, it felt like Logan shifted closer to me, almost protectively.
“According to Logan, there’s an entire community of people like me, but I never knew about them.”
Cecile’s jaw dropped. Mike merely swallowed, his eyes as round as saucers.
“So you can turn into a wolf?” Cecile’s hand fluttered to her hair.
I nudged Logan. “How about you show them?”
∞ ∞ ∞
Using a draped towel for modesty’s sake, Logan shifted four times between wolf and human while Cecile and Mike peppered him with questions in between. As for me, I merely enjoyed seeing Logan with his shirt off even though in the back of my mind I knew I shouldn’t. He was still my employee. He still had a girlfriend, and only that morning, he’d held me in his arms … naked.
And I’d loved every minute of it.
When Cecile and Mike’s amazement finally subsided, Logan retreated to the back to dress properly.
Mike cleared his throat when Logan walked back out. “Speaking of your … uh, pack brothers. Where are they now?”
I stiffened at the reminder of how we’d left Brodie, Jake, and Alexander. They’d had Dillon pinned to the floor.
Logan joined me on the couch again. “They’re probably halfway back to Boise by now with Daria’s father in tow. Boise is where our headquarters are stationed.”
“So they arrested Dillon?” I asked.
I couldn’t stomach referring to Dillon as my father anymore. That man wasn’t my dad. He was a monster. I shifted uncomfortably despite the feel of Logan brushing up against me. Once again, he sat closer than he needed to.
“You could say that. The guys are bringing him to the community to be dealt with. We have a few sorcerers that handle situations like this. They’ll scramble Dillon’s brain and wipe any memory of our existence from his mind. Following that, he’ll be doused in a heady potion that will have him cowering in the corner if he so much as thinks of coming near you again.”
“You mean he’ll be brainwashed?” Cecile clutched her throat.
Logan shrugged. “Something like that. But the important thing is that he won’t be bothering Daria anymore.”
I took a deep unsteady breath. So much had happened in the past few hours.
“I still can’t believe it.” Cecile hung her head. “The entire time, it was him. And now it all makes sense, why your mother never spoke of him and cringed anytime I brought him up.” Tears shone in her eyes when they met mine. “He was always so charming the few times I met him, but then one day, he was just … gone. Your mom never spoke about him again.”
A lump formed in my throat at the mention of my mother.
Mike shook his head in disgust. “That man doesn’t deserve to be called your father, and he never deserved your mother’s affection, even if he was a potential mate.”
I covered his hand with mine. “No, but you do. You’re the one who’s been here for me my entire life, Mike. You and Cecile. You’re both like parents to me.”
His gaze shot up. Tears moistened his eyes.
I removed my hand when the tingles became too much to bear, but the lump in my throat remained.
Cecile dabbed at her eyes. “And you’re safe now, Dar. That’s all that matters since Dillon is being taken care of.” Her gaze turned back to Logan. “You are going to take care of him, right? Like you said, he won’t be a threat to Daria anymore?”
Logan’s eyes softened when he glanced down at me. “That’s right. He’ll never hurt her again. I’ll personally guarantee that.”
Chapter 20
Cecile canceled my show that afternoon while Logan spent most of his time on the phone.
I caught snippets of his conversation. From the sounds of it, I gathered that Logan was leaving the next day for a new job.
Words like yes, sir and assignment came up once or twice. That in itself made my heart pound, but when I overheard details about his upcoming new job, a job that involved dragons and a part-time SF member who also trained dragons for her other job, my mind spun.
Is this really the world I’ve always lived in?
It seemed too much to take in.
I rearranged myself on the couch and curled my legs beneath me. My cheek throbbed from where Dillon had hit me, the skin tender and pink. Logan had applied a few butterfly bandages to various cuts on my arms and face, but other than that, I wasn’t overly injured, minus the numerous bruises.
I gazed out the bus’s windows. Another rest stop waited in front of us. Mike had driven us to central Montana following the incident with my father. My next tour stop was around the area, but we were running behind, thanks to Dillon Parker.
We planned to resume business as usual the next day. Hopefully, the cuts and bruises on my face wouldn’t attract too much attention. Although, most likely, a good layer of foundation would cover all of it.
I curled my fingers around the sofa cushion at the thought of performing—of healing people. Thinking about the amount of energy that would take made my stomach heave.
I didn’t even want to consider how disappointed my clients that I canceled on were. Once again, I’d let them down.
Who knows if we’ll be able to work them into the schedule or not.
But at the moment, performing wasn’t an option. Cecile had insisted on that, and after initially arguing with her, I’d come to agree.
I’d been fine when Logan had revealed his wolf form to Cecile and Mike. I’d even laughed a few times. My mood had been okay, even good, but now, Logan was leaving soon because his job was done, and inside…
It was another story.
Everything was catching up with me.
Twice that morning, while Logan was on the phone, Mike was driving us to the n
ew rest stop, and Cecile was rearranging my schedule, I’d had moments when I couldn’t breathe. Memories of my father advancing on me kept assaulting my mind.
A raised fist.
That dark look.
My own father had turned on me. Someone of my own flesh and blood had viewed me as an abomination, as something the world was better off without.
One side of me knew that Dillon’s actions didn’t reflect anything about my character. But every time I thought about what he had done to me, or how my entire view of the world had shattered after what Logan revealed about the community, my breath stopped.
And on top of that, even though Dillon had never been a real father to me, the crushing understanding that I would never have a biological father was a new devastating blow. My dreams as a little girl of finding the long-lost father who loved me would always be just that—dreams.
How can I keep it together enough to do my job tomorrow?
By late afternoon, I couldn’t take it anymore. I flew out of the bus and into the warm sun. Logan’s dark eyes flashed my way while he held his cell phone to his ear.
“Daria!” Cecile yelled, but I didn’t stop.
My feet slapped on the pavement as I sprinted from our home, across the parking lot. Traffic from I-90 hummed in the background. A blaring semi. The whiz of cars.
But I didn’t pay it any attention.
My life had been turned upside down and inside out. Nothing in our world was what I’d thought it was, and my father hated me enough that he would rather use me for money than see me alive.
The wind flew through my long hair when I leaped onto the sidewalk. A few bystanders’ jaws dropped as I raced past them. I felt certain that my choked sobs and the tears streaming down my beat-up face had something to do with that.
Hot air burned in my lungs as I ran past the rest stop building. Just run! Just get out of here!
Behind the rest stop loomed mountainous terrain. Jutting rocks scattered with pine trees and dry grass rose from the ground like stalagmites.
I raced up a forested hill, falling forward on my hands at times when the terrain grew so steep that I couldn’t stay upright. Twigs and rocks cut into my face and palms, but I didn’t slow.
Ragged breathing and my cries of pain filled the air as I climbed the steep foothill. I was losing it. A part of my mind was aware of that, but I didn’t stop.
It wasn’t until I reached the top of the steep hill that I collapsed to the ground. Gasping sobs, oscillating between cries of pain and howls of anger, shook my chest as I lay in the dirt, my fingers curling into the dry ground littered with pine needles and rocks.
“How could he?” I punched the ground. “My own father! How could he?”
Memories kept assaulting me, making everything worse.
My mother.
Her smile.
Her laugh.
More than ever I wanted her beside me. I wanted her to tell me that it wasn’t me. It wasn’t us. That there was nothing we could have ever done to make my father love us.
But she was gone and never coming back. A deep, keening wail parted my lips. I want you here, Mom! I want you here!
It wasn’t until warm hands touched my back that I became aware of Logan’s presence.
“Daria,” he whispered and turned me around.
Twigs snapped, and a breeze caressed my wet cheeks. His warm hands and intoxicating scent swam through my senses and had me gripping his shirt tightly. The feel of the smooth cotton beneath my fingertips and the rumble of Logan’s chest as he spoke words I struggled to understand eventually broke through my grief-ridden state.
I kneeled on the ground, immobile and panting, as a deep glow filled his eyes.
“Your hands,” he murmured.
I looked down. Through the tears blurring my vision, blood was visible on my palms. My panicked scramble up the hill had only done more damage to my body.
“I…” I brought a shaky hand up to my head. Leaves stuck to my hair.
He gently pulled the leaves out, the glow in his eyes intensifying. “I’m sorry I didn’t pay more attention to how you were feeling. I knew this would come. Trauma always creates a reaction in everyone. I shouldn’t have been on the phone. I should have been more attentive to you.”
His whispered words had me leaning forward, wanting to melt into him, but at the last moment, I pulled myself upright.
What are you doing, Dar?
It was bad enough that Logan was seeing me in such a state, but then to throw myself at him, especially when he had a girlfriend was ten times worse.
Pull it together!
I concentrated on the feel of the dry earth beneath my knees, using that to ground me.
Logan pulled a small twig from my hair, that glow still in his eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?”
For a moment, I didn’t say anything, but then I replied in an acid tone, “What’s there to talk about? My own father would rather have seen me hurt than in his life, and all he ever wanted from me was money.” I shook my head. “I’m such a fool. The way he acted last night when we had dinner, like he cared—it was all fake. That was just a ruse to get me alone so he could steal from me, and I was stupid enough to fall for it.”
Logan’s jaw tightened. “You’re not a fool, and you know his actions have nothing to do with you. He’s a sick bastard. That doesn’t reflect on you.” He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “You know that, right?”
The feel of his sweet breath puffing so close to my skin made my eyes close. I licked my lips. “I know. I’ve been telling myself that, but…”
He pulled back, not far but just enough so I could see his eyes again. They still glowed. “It doesn’t feel that way? You feel like there must be something wrong with you for your own father to act that way?”
I squeezed my eyes shut again. Tears sprouted from them despite my trying to hold them back. “Yes.”
“Fuck.” Abruptly, Logan pulled me toward him, and my body planted against his hard chest. His arms locked around me, his scent everywhere. “It’s not you! It’s not. I’ve dealt with hundreds of assholes like him. And I know you doubt yourself right now. I know you feel that some part of this must be your fault, but it’s not.” He growled, the low rumble filling his chest. “If you had any idea how amazing you are. I’ve never met someone who cares so much about those around her. Someone who risks her own life to save others and doesn’t give a second thought about putting her own life in harm’s way. That’s not somebody any normal person would hate. Your dad’s messed up, and you’re simply the innocent daughter who got caught up in his lies.”
Shivers ran through my body at the feel of his steel-like arms around me.
“You blow my mind, Daria Gresham,” he whispered softly. “My wolf knew something was special about you the moment we met, and the thought of you doubting yourself because some sicko tried to take something from you—” His voice grew tight as another discontented growl rumbled in his chest. “I want to kill him for doing that to you, because you’re the absolute last person who deserves anything like that.”
My breath caught as I peered up at him. Tears still clouded my vision. “Do you mean all of that? Not just the stuff about my father, but about what you think of … me?”
The glow in his eyes increased, making his chocolate irises turn gold. Even with the bright sunshine streaming through the trees around us, I could see it.
“I meant every word of it.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. A soft breeze rustled through the trees. I shivered, but it had nothing to do with the wind.
“And Crystal, I mean your girlfriend, won’t mind you saying those things to me?”
His gaze narrowed. “Just what do you know about Crystal?”
“I saw a text she sent you. Just one,” I said in a rush. “I didn’t mean to pry, but I saw a few words from it, and I heard you guys talking about her outside the bus by that magic shop.”
A long moment passed before his gaze shift
ed and he broke eye contact. “Crystal’s not my girlfriend.”
My lips parted. “She’s not?”
“No.”
Elation coursed through me so swift and strong that I feared I might pass out. “So you don’t have a girlfriend?”
Another moment passed, his gaze still averted. “No.”
“Then who’s Crystal?”
His nostrils flared, his gaze staying over my shoulder. “A girl from back home.”
But not his girlfriend…
Before I knew what I was doing, I pushed myself against him more, my breasts squashing on his chest. The need to be with him, to touch him, was so strong. I didn’t know if it was because he was a potential mate or if my feelings were real, but at the moment, I didn’t care. I wanted him. I needed him. I wanted to wrap myself up in him and forget everything that had happened that morning.
“Touch me,” I whispered.
He groaned, his breath coming faster. “Dar, you’re vulnerable right now.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.” He tensed, trying to pull back, but I gripped him tighter, not letting him retreat.
“Logan,” I breathed. He didn’t have a girlfriend, and he was a potential mate. My blood felt on fire for him.
“Dar…” he replied, his tone low and warning. Every muscle in his body tightened, veins popping beneath the skin. He closed his eyes. Even his cheek muscles appeared strained. “Damn, woman. I’m trying so hard to control myself right now. I don’t want to take advantage of you. I don’t want to lose control.”
“I want you to lose control,” I whispered.
“Fuck, Daria.” He groaned then pulled me against him so hard my head spun.
His lips locked against mine in a bruising kiss as my breasts crushed against his chest. My nipples immediately hardened, as if rejoicing that they’d finally gotten their way.
I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and locked my legs around his waist.
His hands cupped my ass and pulled me even tighter to him.
Instinct took over as I grinded against him. Despite my bruised cheek and sore ribs, I met his demanding embrace as heat grew so strongly in my core that I felt like an inferno. Tingles of pleasure shot along my limbs as his tongue plunged into my mouth.
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