6. Logan
6
LOGAN
L ogan watched Serena's car disappear down the winding road, her taillights fading into the growing dusk.
"Well, that went better than expected," he muttered to himself as he turned back to check on the recovering animals.
The sick fox in the recovery pen let out a small yip, already showing more energy than it had in days.
"Yeah, I know. She fixed you right up, didn't she?" He crouched by the pen and checked the water bowl. "Should've known it'd take someone special to figure this out."
His bear booms with satisfaction deep in his chest. She'd changed, sure - the messy bun replacing her once-perfect ponytail, those blue glasses perched on her nose, and the confidence in her movements when she worked with the animals. But watching her mix those potions, the way she'd absently pushed her glasses up with the back of her hand while concentrating…
"Damn," he said to the fox, who tilted its head at him. "She's even more beautiful now."
Not to mention the way she'd finished his sentence that had knocked him sideways. That connection, that spark - it was still there, crackling between them like static electricity.
"Not that it matters," he told himself firmly. "She's got divorce written all over her face, and I've got Silas breathing down my neck."
But his bear disagreed beneath his skin. The animal remembered her scent, remembered how right it felt having her here in their territory.
"Down, boy," Logan muttered. "She's not looking for anything. And neither are we."
He busied himself with the evening feeding routine, trying to ignore how empty the sanctuary felt without her presence.
The bear grumbled. Logan ignored it. He had enough problems without adding unrequited feelings for his ex to the mix. Even if she did make those adorable little humming sounds when she was thinking hard about something, just like she used to.
"Man, timing's never been our strong suit, has it?"
The fox yipped again, as if agreeing.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Keep my mind on business." He picked up the feed bucket and headed to the next enclosure. "Professional distance. I can do that."
Suddenly, Logan's nostrils flared as he caught a potent scent - musky, wild, with an underlying hint of rage. Another bear shifter. One he knew all too well.
"Son of a bitch!" He dropped the feed bucket, spilling pellets across the ground. The raccoon in the nearby enclosure chittered in protest. "Sorry, buddy. Dinner's gonna be late."
His bear surged forward for the shift. Logan stripped efficiently, stashing his clothes behind a storage bin. The transformation rippled through him - muscles expanding, bones lengthening, fur sprouting thick and dark brown across his body. Within seconds, a massive Kodiak bear stood where the man had been.
Logan's enhanced senses picked up everything. The wind carried traces of Silas's scent from the northwest beyond the tree line. His bear's instincts screamed territory, protect, and defend.
He padded silently through the sanctuary past the recovering animals. The fox whined softly as he passed. Logan huffed quietly, a reassuring sound. No one was getting near his charges. Not tonight.
The scent grew stronger as he approached the perimeter. Through the trees, he caught glimpses of movement - another bear, nearly as large as himself, prowling the edge of his property. Silas. The other Kodiak’s fur was lighter than Logan's, with a distinctive scar across his shoulder that hadn't been there before prison.
Logan's bear wanted to charge and defend what was his. But the man knew better. Silas was testing him, trying to provoke a reaction. Looking for weaknesses.
Logan remained still, watching. His territory. His animals. His responsibility. And now Serena was involved too. The thought of her potentially crossing paths with Silas made his bear snarl internally.
Silas continued his circuit of the property, marking trees as he went - a clear challenge. Logan's claws dug into the earth. The urge to rush out there and settle this was almost overwhelming. But instead, Logan settled on a warning. His growl rumbled through the clearing, deep and threatening.
His bear's hackles rose as Silas's scent grew stronger and even closer instead of backing off. The lighter-colored Kodiak paused, then melted back into human form with a fluid grace that spoke of practice.
Logan's bear bristled at the sight of his naked former friend standing so casually on his territory. Silas's scarred shoulder caught the moonlight as he stretched, a smirk playing across his face.
"Quite the menagerie you've got here," Silas called out, his voice carrying across the distance between them. "Shame about all the sick ones though. Must be something going around."
Logan shifted back, his bones and muscles realigning until he stood human again. The cool night air prickled against his skin. "Back off, Silas. Whatever game you're playing ends now."
"Game?" Silas's laugh held no warmth. "No game. Just admiring your little zoo. Those potions working out for you? Temporary fixes, at best." He took a step closer, and Logan's muscles tensed. "Wonder what'll happen when they wear off?"
The bear inside Logan roared to protect what was his, but he kept his voice steady and controlled. "Touch my animals again, and we'll see how well prison prepared you for a real fight."
"Big words from someone who spends his days playing nurse to broken creatures." Silas's eyes glinted dangerously. "Everything you love, Logan. Everything you've built. It'll all come crashing down." He gestured at the sanctuary. "Starting with this pathetic excuse for a legacy."
"Last warning." Logan took a step forward, letting his bear's strength flow through his human form. "Get off my property."
"Or what? You'll call the cops again?" Silas's grin widened. "No evidence, no crime. Just like these mysterious illnesses. Fascinating how that works, isn't it?"
Logan's hands clenched into fists. "You always did talk too much."
Silas's lips curled into a sneer. "You could have just looked the other way, Logan. Could have let me do what needed to be done. But no, you had to play the hero."
"Right." Logan crossed his arms, moonlight casting shadows across his bare chest. "Because bombing research facilities and threatening humans was exactly what our sleuth needed. Real smart thinking there, buddy."
"Those facilities were torturing animals!" Silas took another step forward. "And humans? They're the real plague on this earth. You used to understand that."
"No, I understood protecting our own. What you did put everyone at risk. The whole sleuth could have been exposed because you couldn't control your hatred."
The night air crackled with tension. Logan's bear was itching for a fight.
"The sleuth was weak," Silas spat. "Still is. Hiding in plain sight, playing nice with the humans. It's pathetic."
Logan's laugh was sharp and without humor. "Says the guy who spent five years in a human prison. How'd that work out for your cause?"
"You son of a-"
"Save it." Logan's voice dropped, low and dangerous. "I'd do it again. Every time. Because unlike you, I actually give a damn about our people. About all creatures."
Silas's face contorted with rage. "You'll regret choosing them over me. Over your own kind." His body began to shift, bones cracking and reforming. "I'm going to take everything from you, Logan. Everything."
The lighter-colored bear that was Silas let out a final snarl before turning and disappearing into the treeline.
Logan watched him go, his muscles still tense. "Drama queen," he muttered as he rolled his shoulders. "Always did have to have the last word."
A chorus of worried animal sounds rose from the sanctuary behind him. Logan turned back, already planning to double-check all the enclosures. His charges were scared - they'd sensed the confrontation.
"Don't worry, guys," he called out as he headed back. "The big bad bear's gone. For now."
Logan retrieved his clothes from behind the storage bin, brushing off dirt and debris. His jeans had a new tear - shifting was hell on the wardrobe. At least his favorite flannel had survived intact.
"Another shopping trip," he muttered. "Add it to the list, right after 'reinforce fencing' and 'figure out how to trap an asshole bear.'"
The sanctuary's night sounds soon settled back into their usual rhythm as he made his final rounds. The raccoon who'd missed dinner earlier chittered at him reproachfully.
"Here you go, your majesty." Logan poured fresh food into the dish. The raccoon immediately started sorting through the pellets, picking out his favorites first. "Picky little garbage disposal, aren't you?"
Moving on, he checked each enclosure meticulously. The fox that Serena had treated wagged its tail at his approach.
"Looking good there, buddy. That witch knows her stuff, doesn't she?" The fox yipped in agreement. "Don't you start. I've got enough opinions about Serena from my bear without you joining in."
The night air carried traces of Silas's scent, but it was fading. Logan's bear rumbled with displeasure at the lingering reminder of the threat.
"We'll handle him," Logan assured the anxious deer watching him from their pen. "Nobody messes with my family." He paused, realizing he'd just called the animals family. "Don't tell anyone I said that. Got a reputation to maintain."
The owl in the recovery aviary hooted softly.
"You too? Everyone's a critic." Logan checked the locks one final time. "At least Serena's potions are working. That's something."
His phone buzzed - a text from Julie: "Serena says don't forget to log temp changes in the sick ones."
Logan smiled despite himself. Even after all these years, Serena was still detail-oriented to a fault.
"Yes, doc," he typed back, then started taking temperatures. The bear inside him preened at how well their charges were doing under her care.
"Shut up," he told it firmly. "She's just doing her job. Professional relationship only."
The bear disagreed. Strongly.
"This is going to be a long week," Logan sighed, making his final notes. But he couldn't quite suppress the warmth in his chest at the thought of tomorrow's check-up.