8. Logan
EIGHT
LOGAN
Waking up with my mate in my arms was a dream come true. In my case, literally. But, when I scented the air, my eyes snapped open.
“What the fuck?” I looked up to see both Jake and Blaze standing there, their hair dripping wet and a shit-eating grin paired with apologetic eyes on both of them.
“Shit.” Emmie pulled the blanket up. “Get out!”
I jumped out of bed, standing between them and my mate. They were no danger to her. But fear, more than embarrassment, rolled off her.
“You heard my mate. Get out!”
Both of them broke into a smile.
“Congrats,” Blaze said.
Jake waved to my mate, but Emmie growled back. She might not be a wolf, but she was going to fit in fine with the pack.
“Nice to meet you. I hate to bother you. We’re experiencing serious flooding.”
“Flooding? Tell me what you need.” And just like that, she was out of bed and pulling on her clothing, offering to pitch in.
“We need to move everything out of the original cabin.” Jake explained how it was on lower ground than the others and that the water was inevitably going to reach it. This was a preemptive strike, showing yet another example of why Jake was the perfect Alpha for our pack, even if he got it in a game of not-it.
“This is my Alpha, Jake,” I told her as we ran through the rain to the cabin. “And that’s Blaze. Not sure where their mates are, but you’ll meet Maisy and Blair soon. They’re human too.”
As we entered the cabin, both women in question were collecting the little items and shoving them up high. The place was more storage than for guests now we all had our own cabins. A few times we’d considered razing it and doing something different with the space. For all I knew, this was the fate’s way of telling us to do it now.
We worked for two hours, the water rising slowly enough that we finished before the cabin flooded. When we were done, our houses were filled with random items and we were drenched and starving.
But none of that mattered. We had come together as a pack and prevented significant damage. That and it had helped Emmie bond with my pack.
It hadn’t been the way I wanted our first morning to be, with people barging in. As I fell asleep, her body nestled close to mine, I thought of how to make today special. I was going to cook—or attempt to cook—an amazing breakfast, introduce her properly to the pack over coffee and maybe a fire pit, and then we’d sit down and discuss what would come next.
It was easier than for most people to reach that point, the one where we talked about our future. We’d shared dreams, and that is a rare and wonderful thing, one that connected our spirits long before our bodies were in the same space.
But it was also more difficult. We had this deep connection already, knowing nothing about each other. It was as if we needed to stop and let that part of our relationship catch up with our dream bond. I didn’t know what her favorite color was or what month she was born. There was so much to learn.
“We need to get your things.” I wrapped my arms around her.
She was standing on my front stoop, watching the water recede.
“Maybe later. Right now, I want to stay here and absorb all of this.” She turned to face me. “I loved seeing how your pack came together. This may sound odd, but I feel a connection, not only to you, but to your entire pack.”
“I’m so glad. It’s the way of pack life.” I rubbed noses with her. “We’re family.”
She chuckled. “Most families are not so good to one another. We’re better than family.”
We’re. I wasn’t sure if she said it intentionally, or if it just slipped out. But, whichever it was, my heart soared.
“I changed my mind.” She hugged me close, bringing her lips to my ear. “I don’t want to stay on the porch anymore… I want you to take me inside. Last night, you got to feast on me, it’s only fair that I have a little snack.”
“As if I could turn you down.” I scooped her up and carried her inside. If my mate wanted a snack, she was going to get one… and I was too.