18. Serena
18
SERENA
T he shrill ring of her phone pierced through Serena's dreams. She fumbled for it in the dark, knocking over a glass of water on her nightstand.
"Hello?" She squinted at her bedside clock - 2:37 AM.
"Serena." Logan's voice came through rough and strained. "Silas attacked the sanctuary. Everything's... there's damage everywhere."
Her heart leaped into her throat. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. He ran off."
Something in his clipped tone told her otherwise. She was already sliding out of bed, phone pressed between her ear and shoulder as she grabbed the first clothes she could find.
"The animals-"
"They're scared, but okay. Look, I shouldn't have-"
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"You don't need to-"
"Try and stop me." She hung up before he could argue.
Her hands shook as she pulled on her jeans and grabbed her emergency potions kit. The drive to the sanctuary felt endless, her mind conjuring increasingly worse scenarios. What if Logan was more injured than he let on? Bears didn't exactly fight gently.
The sanctuary's front gate hung crooked on its hinges. Serena parked haphazardly and rushed out, her sneakers crunching on scattered gravel. The scent of ozone and something acrid burned her nose - magical residue.
"Logan?" She called out, hurrying down the main path.
"Over here." His deep voice carried from near the hawk enclosure.
She rounded the corner and stopped short. Logan stood shirtless in the moonlight, muscles rippling as he attempted to right an overturned feeding station. Angry red scratches marked his chest and arms.
"Those need treatment," she said, already digging in her bag.
"I'm fine." He grunted, finally getting the feeder upright.
"Sure you are, tough guy. Sit."
"Serena-"
"Sit down before I make you sit down."
A ghost of a smile crossed his face as he lowered himself onto a nearby bench. "Yes ma'am."
She tried to ignore how her fingers tingled when they brushed his warm skin as she applied healing salve to his wounds. "Want to tell me what happened?"
"Rather hear why you rushed over here in the middle of the night wearing mismatched shoes."
Serena glanced down. Sure enough - one blue sneaker, one purple. Heat crept up into her cheeks. "I was worried about you, you impossible man."
His hand caught hers, stilling her movements. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
Serena watched Logan pull his shirt back on. The healing salve she'd applied would take care of the worst of his injuries, but her stomach still churned at how close the fight had been.
"Let me see the rest of the damage," she said, shouldering her bag.
Logan's jaw tightened. "It's not pretty."
They walked through the sanctuary together, and Serena's heart sank. Broken branches littered the paths, and deep claw marks scored the wooden posts of several enclosures. The hawk cage she'd helped with earlier lay twisted on its side, though thankfully the bird inside remained unharmed.
"My magic," she whispered, running her hand along a section of fence. The protective barrier she'd crafted was gone, leaving only empty air where her spells should have hummed. "It's completely dissolved."
"Yeah, noticed that right before the attack." Logan hefted a fallen beam. "Mind giving me a hand?"
They worked side by side in the moonlight, clearing debris and checking on frightened animals. The raccoons chittered nervously when they approached, while the deer pressed close to their fence, seeking reassurance.
"That's the third time you've yawned in five minutes," Logan said.
"I'm fine." Serena straightened another section of fence, fighting back another yawn. "Just need to finish-"
"We can do more tomorrow." His hand settled on her lower back, warm and steady. "Take a break."
"But-"
"Serena." His voice dropped lower, taking on that commanding tone that made her knees weak. "Sit for a minute."
She huffed but let him guide her to a bench. "You're bossy when you're worried."
"I'm always bossy." He handed her a bottle of water. "Drink."
Serena tilted her head back, letting the cool water soothe her parched throat. The moon hung fat and bright above them, casting elongated shadows across the sanctuary grounds. Her muscles ached from hours of cleanup, and exhaustion tugged at her bones.
"Stay the night." Logan's voice pierced through the quiet.
She nearly choked on her water. "What?"
"In my cabin." He gestured toward the small house. "You're dead on your feet, and I don't want you driving home like this."
"I couldn't-"
"You can take my bed. I'll crash on the couch."
Serena fiddled with the water bottle cap, weighing her options. The thought of driving home in her current state made her wince. Plus, what if Silas came back?
"I don't have any clothes to sleep in," she protested weakly.
Logan crossed his arms, his expression brooking no argument. "I'll loan you something."
"You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"Nope." The corner of his mouth twitched. "Consider it payback for making me sit still while you played nurse earlier."
Warmth filled her body at the memory of her hands on his bare skin. "Fine. But if you give me some ratty old t-shirt to sleep in, I'm turning it into something pink and frilly."
His laugh echoed across the sanctuary. "Threats already? Come on. Let's get you settled."
As they walked to his cabin, Serena couldn't help but notice how he positioned himself between her and the tree line, his shoulders tensed and alert. The alpha protector, even now. Some things never changed.
"You know," she said, trying to lighten the mood, "the last time I spent the night here, we were dating and you tried to cook me breakfast. The fire department wasn't very impressed."
"That pan was defective."
"The pan was fine. Your attention span was defective."
"If I remember correctly," he said, holding open his front door, "you were very distracting that morning."
Serena ducked inside, hoping the darkness hid her blush. Some memories were better left in the past. Weren't they?
Logan disappeared down the hallway and returned with a stack of folded clothes. "These should work. Pants might be a bit long."
"Thanks." Serena accepted the clothes, trying not to focus on how his fingers brushed hers or how the soft cotton t-shirt still held traces of his warmth.
"Bathroom's through there if you want to change." He gestured to a door, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Bedroom's just past it."
"Right." She clutched the clothes tighter, suddenly very aware of being alone with him in his cabin again. "Thanks again for letting me stay."
His bathroom was unusually neat, with forest-green towels and a pine-scented candle on the counter. Serena changed quickly, rolling up the legs of his flannel pants several times. His gray t-shirt hung loose on her frame, the soft material carrying his distinctive scent - pine needles and something uniquely Logan.
When she emerged, Logan was making up the couch with spare blankets. He'd stripped off his shirt again, and Serena found herself staring at the play of muscles across his back.
"Bedroom's all yours." He turned, catching her gaze. Heat flooded her cheeks at being caught looking.
"Night," she managed, hurrying into his bedroom.
The bedroom was exactly how she remembered it - simple furniture, earth tones, and a large window overlooking the sanctuary. The bed dominated the space, covered in a thick navy comforter that suddenly looked incredibly inviting.
"Sleep well," Logan called from the doorway behind her. His voice had dropped an octave lower, sending shivers down her spine.
"You too."
Serena slipped between the sheets, immediately enveloped by Logan's scent. It surrounded her, familiar and intoxicating. The mattress was perfectly firm, and despite her racing thoughts about the man sleeping just rooms away, exhaustion quickly took over.
Her last conscious thought was how right it felt to be here, wrapped in Logan's clothes, in Logan's bed, with the sounds of the sanctuary drifting through the window. Then sleep claimed her, drawing her into peaceful dreams filled with golden-flecked eyes and gentle hands.
A gentle shake of her shoulder pulled her from dreams.
"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty."
She blinked awake to find Logan leaning over her, already dressed in a fresh black t-shirt that stretched across his broad chest. Morning sunlight caught the gold flecks in his eyes, making them sparkle.
"What time is it?" Her voice came out scratchy with sleep.
"Just past nine." He straightened up, and Serena immediately missed his warmth. "Made breakfast. No fire department required this time."
She couldn't help but smile at the callback to their conversation last night. "Brave of you to attempt cooking breakfast again."
"I've learned a few things since then." He leaned against the doorway. "Coming?"
The kitchen smelled amazing - eggs, bacon, and was that fresh coffee? Her stomach rumbled as she slid onto a stool at his counter.
"This looks edible," she teased, accepting the mug he handed her.
"Such faith." He loaded a plate with food and set it in front of her. "Eat."
As they ate, Serena's mind wandered back to last night's attack. Something wasn't adding up.
"Logan?" She pushed eggs around her plate. "Does Silas have any magical ability? Besides the shifting?"
"No." He took a sip of coffee. "Why?"
"Because breaking through my protective spells would take serious magical knowledge." She set down her fork. "The kind that comes from years of potion work."
Logan's jaw tightened. "You think he had help?"
"Has to be another potions witch." Serena's mind raced with possibilities. "Someone who knows how to unravel protection spells."
"If we find them-"
"We might be able to stop Silas." She leaned forward, her excitement building. "My magic is good, but against another witch specifically targeting it? That's why the barriers failed."
Logan's eyes darkened. "I'll find them."
"We'll find them," she corrected. "You need a witch to catch a witch."
He gave her that intense alpha male stare that made her insides melt. "You're not going to be bait."
"No, I'm going to be your partner in this." She held his gaze. "Deal with it."