17. Logan
17
LOGAN
L ogan's bear prowled restlessly as he made his morning rounds at the sanctuary. Every few minutes, his thoughts drifted back to Serena - the way she'd felt in his arms, how her scent had mixed with the ocean spray, the slight part of her lips just before the fireworks interrupted them.
"Focus," he growled at himself, nearly stumbling over a feeding bucket. The raccoon in the nearby enclosure chittered, almost mockingly.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Logan muttered, tossing some fresh fruit into the enclosure. "At least you're not daydreaming about someone like a lovesick teenager."
He checked his phone for the third time that hour. No messages from Serena, but then he had insisted she take the day off. His bear grumbled with displeasure at the self-imposed distance.
"She's probably having fun with Julie," he told himself, trying to ignore how empty the sanctuary felt without her presence. Without her laughter echoing off the walls, or the way she'd scrunch her nose when concentrating on a particularly tricky potion.
The owl they'd treated together called out from its enclosure, drawing his attention. Logan approached, checking its wing.
"Missing your favorite vet, huh?" He stroked the bird's feathers. "Join the club."
His mind wandered back to that almost-kiss - the way she'd moved against him, trust evident in every steady breath. The bear in him had wanted to claim her right there, mark her as his mate. The human side of him knew better, knew they needed to take things slow.
"What am I, sixteen again?" he muttered. "You really need to get it together, Steele."
But the memory of her gray eyes reflecting the starlight, the soft curves of her body pressed against his - it all refused to leave him alone.
A squirrel chattered nearby, drawing his attention to the feed he'd spilled while lost in thought.
"Alright, alright," he grumbled, cleaning up the mess. "But you try concentrating when the woman you've never stopped loving is suddenly back in your life, looking more beautiful than ever, and nearly kissing you under the stars."
The squirrel just flicked its tail and scampered off.
"Everyone's a critic," Logan muttered, but couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips as he returned to his tasks.
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the sanctuary as Logan finished the last of his tasks. His bear's heightened senses picked up the lingering traces of Serena's scent near the hawk enclosure - that mix of lavender and herbs that made his chest tighten.
"You're getting soft, old man," he muttered to himself, securing the feed storage. His bear disagreed, rumbling contentedly at thoughts of their almost-kiss.
Logan paused at the fence line they'd reinforced together, running his fingers over the strengthened metal. Her magic had merged seamlessly with the structure, just like she'd merged back into his life.
"Back then, I thought I had it all figured out." He checked the gate's latch, remembering how young and sure of himself he'd been. "Gonna marry that girl, have cubs, live happily ever after." He paused. "How did that work out for you?"
A red-tailed hawk swooped overhead, catching his attention. The same kind they'd treated together yesterday.
"She's different now," he told the sanctuary at large, pacing the perimeter. "Hell, I'm different. Maybe that's not such a bad thing."
His bear pushed forward, eager to chase these thoughts of mate and future. Logan reined it in, though he couldn't help the satisfied growl that escaped when he remembered how perfectly she'd fit against him during their dance.
"But what if-" he started, then caught himself talking to thin air again. "Great, now I'm turning into one of those shifters who talks to themselves all day."
The raccoon from earlier poked its head out, chittering what sounded suspiciously like agreement.
"Nobody asked you," Logan grumbled, but his lips twitched upward. He'd never been one for overthinking - that was more Serena's department. His bear preferred action, claiming what was theirs, protecting what mattered.
And Serena mattered. Maybe more now than she had before, because this time he understood what he stood to lose.
The setting sun painted the sanctuary in shades of amber and gold, like the way Serena's eyes had sparkled beneath the festival lights. His bear purred at the memory.
"Maybe," he mused, checking the last enclosure, "sometimes you get a second chance for a reason."
Logan soon shuffled through expense reports, trying to focus on the numbers that kept swimming before his eyes. His bear's enhanced night vision made the late hour bearable, but nothing could make accounting interesting - especially when every receipt reminded him of Serena.
The latest invoice was from their fence repairs. He remembered how she'd accidentally turned a section into flowering vines, her cheeks flushing that adorable shade of pink. His bear hummed contentedly at the memory.
"Focus," he growled, shoving the paper aside. His phone buzzed - another text from Serena.
"Just checking - did the hawk eat tonight? I noticed she was picky yesterday."
His lips curved despite himself. Trust Serena to worry about their patients even on her day off.
"Already handled. She ate everything. Stop worrying and enjoy your break," he typed back, then added, "The raccoon misses his favorite vet though."
"Just the raccoon?" came her quick reply.
Logan's bear preened at the flirtatious undertone. "Maybe not just the raccoon."
He set the phone down before he could say more, but his eyes kept drifting to the window where they'd watched the sunset together last week. To the corner where she'd spilled that experimental potion that had made them both laugh uncontrollably for an hour. Even his damn coffee mug still held traces of her scent from when she'd borrowed it the other morning.
His phone lit up again. "The hawk's wing should be ready for another check tomorrow. I can come by early?"
"Sounds good." He couldn't help adding, "The sanctuary feels too quiet without you here."
As soon as he sent it, his bear boomed with delight at the admission while his human side wondered if he'd said too much.
But her response made both sides purr: "I miss you too. See you tomorrow, Logan."
He leaned back in his chair, his paperwork forgotten. The numbers could wait. Right now, his bear wanted to bask in the warmth spreading through his chest at those four simple words.
Logan was shutting down his laptop when a thunderous crack split the night air, making the windows rattle in their frames. The sound reminded him of that time Julie's water magic had collided with Serena's experimental lightning potion - except this was ten times worse.
"What the hell?" He bolted from his chair, keys jingling in his pocket as he sprinted outside. The familiar tingle of Serena's protective magic that usually hummed along the fence line was conspicuously absent.
As he approached the perimeter, his enhanced vision caught the alterations immediately. The reinforced metal that had gleamed with a subtle purple sheen now looked dull and lifeless. The fence posts that had practically vibrated with Serena's protective spells stood inert.
"Son of a bitch!" Logan ran his hand along the nearest section. The metal felt wrong - cold and ordinary where it should have buzzed with energy. "How did he manage this?"
The animals were getting restless, sensing the change. A chorus of worried sounds rose from the enclosures - clicking, chittering, and low growls that set his teeth on edge. His bear pushed against his skin, urging him to shift, but Logan held back. He needed his human senses right now.
"Easy, everyone," he called out to the anxious animals. "Nobody's getting through tonight."
But even as he said it, Logan knew he needed to call Serena. Whatever Silas had done to strip away her magic, this was beyond his expertise. He pulled out his phone, thumbing through his recent contacts.
A twig snapped in the darkness beyond the fence. Logan's head whipped toward the sound, nostrils flaring as he caught Silas's scent on the breeze.
"Enjoying my handiwork, Steele?" Silas's voice floated from the shadows. "Amazing what a little counter-magic can do."
Logan's muscles tensed, but his voice remained casual. "Gotta admit, I'm impressed you managed to string two brain cells together long enough to pull this off."
"Always with the jokes." Silas's laugh held no humor. "Let's see how funny you find it when everything you've built comes crashing down."
The night air crackled with tension as Silas's massive bear form emerged and crashed through the weakened fence like it was made of paper. His light fur bristled, muscles bunching as he charged straight for the main building.
Logan's shift came naturally, his clothes shredding as his Kodiak form emerged. His bear roared with protective fury as Silas barreled through the sanctuary, knocking over equipment and smashing through the newly built feeding stations.
"Not my sanctuary, you bastard," Logan's thoughts snarled as he intercepted Silas's charge.
The two bears collided with bone-jarring force. Silas might have been slightly bigger, but Logan's bear knew every inch of this territory. He used that advantage, herding Silas away from the more delicate enclosures.
Claws raked, teeth snapped. Logan took a hit to his shoulder but managed to land a powerful swipe across Silas's muzzle. Blood matted their fur as they wrestled, their growls echoing through the night air.
The hawk they'd been treating screeched in alarm as Silas crashed into its enclosure. That sound drove Logan's bear into a frenzy. He lunged, catching Silas by the throat. His bear's thoughts were crystal clear: Nobody threatens our home.
Silas thrashed, but Logan held firm until the other bear went limp in submission. The moment Logan's grip loosened, Silas twisted free and bolted, leaving destruction in his wake.
Logan shifted back, ignoring the sting of his wounds as he assessed the damage to the sanctuary. Broken fences, smashed equipment, scattered supplies - but miraculously, all the animals seemed unharmed.