19. Logan
19
LOGAN
L ogan hammered the last board into place later that morning. His muscles ached from the night's work, but satisfaction coursed through him at having repaired most of the damage. Beside him, Serena applied the last of her protective potions to the fence line.
"That should hold for now," Logan said. "Though I'd feel better if we knew who helped Silas break through your magic in the first place."
Serena stretched, her messy bun even messier than usual. "I need a shower and fresh clothes before I can think straight about any of this."
"Go home and rest. I'll pick you up this afternoon - we can start tracking down this mystery witch."
"You have a plan?"
"Nina." Logan leaned against the newly repaired fence. "If anyone knows about a rogue witch in town, it'll be her."
"Smart thinking." Serena gathered her supplies, stifling a yawn. "Though I'm not sure how much help I'll be running on almost zero sleep."
"You've already done more than enough." Logan caught himself reaching to brush a stray hair from her face and quickly dropped his hand. "I shouldn't have called you in the middle of the night."
"Don't be ridiculous. These are my patients too now." She gestured to the sanctuary around them. "Besides, I'm invested in stopping Silas."
Later that afternoon, Logan pulled up to Serena's house in his truck, freshly showered and changed. She opened the door before he could knock, looking refreshed in a soft sweater and jeans.
"Ready to go witch hunting?" he asked.
"That sounds way more ominous than what we're actually doing." Serena locked up behind her. "But yes, let's go see what Nina knows."
As they walked to his truck, Logan's protective instincts flared. Having Serena involved put her at risk, but he couldn't deny how much he needed her help - or how much he simply wanted her around. He'd have to find a way to keep her safe while they tracked down whoever was helping Silas. His bear wouldn't accept anything less.
The bell above the Cauldron & Cup chimed as Logan held the door for Serena. His bear's protective instincts purred at having her close, though he tried to ignore it. The café smelled of fresh coffee and warm pastries, with hints of various magical brews underneath.
Nina orchestrated a symphony of floating mugs and ingredients behind the counter, her constellation-speckled apron twinkling in the morning light. "Well, if it isn't my two favorite customers."
"Nina, we need your help," Logan said, leading Serena to the counter. "Someone's been messing with Serena's protection spells."
Nina's hands stilled mid-conductor wave. "Tell me everything."
As Logan described the previous night's attack, Nina's expression grew serious. Purple sparks danced around her fingertips.
"The magic just... disappeared from the fences," Serena added. "Like it was never there."
"That takes serious power." Nina absently wiped down the counter with her enchanted cloth. "Most potions witches I know couldn't manage that."
Logan leaned forward. "But you know someone who could?"
"Beatrice Hemlock." Nina's voice dropped low. "She's always had a knack for undoing others' work. And she's not exactly particular about who she helps, as long as they can pay her."
"Where can we find her?" Logan's bear stirred at the prospect of confronting their enemy's ally.
"That's the problem." Nina sent a dirty mug spinning toward the sink. "Beatrice moves around. Last I heard, she was living in an old lighthouse up the coast, but that was months ago."
Serena touched Logan's arm, sending warmth through his skin. "It's a start, at least."
"Be careful," Nina warned. "Beatrice isn't known for her sunny disposition."
Logan nodded, already planning their next move. "Thanks, Nina. We owe you one."
"Just keep each other safe." Nina's knowing smile made Logan's ears warm. "And maybe name your firstborn after me."
"Nina!" Serena sputtered while Logan tried not to think about how much he liked the idea.
Logan's truck soon rumbled down the coastal road, the scent of Serena's lavender-vanilla shampoo mixing with the salt air through the open windows. He was getting very comfortable having her in the passenger seat again, just like old times.
"I can't believe Nina suggested naming our firstborn after her," Serena said, shaking her head with a laugh.
"Bold of her to assume I'd let anyone name my cubs something that pretentious," Logan teased, enjoying the blush that crept across Serena's cheeks.
"Please, you'd probably name them something like 'Bear Junior.'"
"Hey, that's brilliant." He grinned as she rolled her eyes.
The playful mood evaporated as they pulled up to the sanctuary. Logan's nose twitched at an acrid smell - something was wrong. His bear stirred uneasily.
Inside, they found several animals looking lethargic. The fox that had just recovered was curled in the corner of its enclosure, barely lifting its head when they approached.
"No, no, no," Serena whispered, quickly kneeling beside the enclosure. "They were doing so well yesterday."
Logan's fists clenched as he watched her check on each animal, her face growing more concerned with each examination. His bear roared inside him, demanding he protect both his animals and his mate - he caught himself at that thought, but couldn't deny how right it felt.
"It's the same magical signature as before," Serena confirmed, her voice tight with worry as she stroked a sick rabbit's fur. "Silas must have had Beatrice do something when they broke through last night."
Logan's jaw clenched. "I'm going to tear him apart."
"We need to find Beatrice first." Serena stood, determination replacing the worry in her eyes. "She's the key to stopping this."
The sight of her fierce protectiveness over his animals made Logan's bear purr with approval. He stepped closer, unable to help himself. "We will. No one messes with what's mine."
Serena raised an eyebrow. "Your animals, you mean?"
"Yeah," Logan said roughly, though his bear disagreed. "The animals."
Logan's bear rumbled contentedly as Serena leaned closer to peer at his laptop screen, her shoulder brushing against his. The small office felt even smaller with her vanilla-lavender scent filling his senses.
"Silas had to find her somehow," Serena mused. "A witch that powerful wouldn't stay hidden completely."
"Makes sense." Logan shifted in his chair, hyper-aware of how her hip pressed against his arm. "Though I doubt she's advertising 'magical fence destruction' in the yellow pages."
Serena's laugh sent a warmth through him. "No, but powerful witches tend to show off. It's like a signature - they can't help themselves."
She reached across him to type something into the search bar, her hair falling forward to brush his cheek. His bear wanted to nuzzle into that softness, to pull her into his lap and-
Logan cleared his throat. "Found anything?"
"Maybe. There's 'Midnight Mystiques' - looks like a specialty perfume shop." Serena scrolled through the website. "Oh, but their reviews mention artificial ingredients. No real witch would use those."
"What about this one?" Logan pointed to another listing, grateful for the distraction from how perfectly she'd fit in his arms right about now. "'The Enchanted Garden'?"
"Too cutesy for someone Nina described. Besides, their social media is full of fairy wings and glitter." Serena wrinkled her nose. "Beatrice sounds more..."
"Terrifying?"
"I was going to say sophisticated, but yeah." She laughed again, turning to face him. Their faces were inches apart.
Logan's bear surged forward, demanding he close that small distance. Her gray eyes widened slightly, and he caught the slight hitch in her breath. It would be so easy to just lean in and-
"Oh!" Serena jerked back, pointing at the screen. "What about 'Hemlocke & Herbs'?"
Logan blinked, forcing himself to focus on the business listing. "Different last name."
"Darn." Serena stepped back. "I really thought we had something there."
His bear grumbled at the increased distance between them, but Logan made himself keep scrolling. They had work to do, no matter how much he wanted to pull her back close.
Logan clicked through another page of search results, his bear growing restless with impatience. Then something caught his eye - "Bea's Ink & Iron." The reviews were filled with coded language about "magical experiences" and "life-changing transformations."
"Take a look at this," he said, trying to ignore how Serena's soft curves pressed against him as she leaned over his shoulder. His bear rumbled possessively at her proximity, and Logan gripped the arms of his chair to keep from pulling her into his lap.
"These tattoos..." Serena zoomed in on several photos, her breath tickling his ear. "Look at the detail work. Those aren't just decorative lines - they're runes."
Logan forced himself to focus on the screen rather than the way her hair brushed his cheek again. "You sure?"
"Absolutely." Her fingers traced the air above one particular design. "See how the patterns interlock? That's advanced runic magic. And look - some of these have an iridescent sheen that screams potion infusion."
His bear delighted at her intelligence, wanting to nuzzle into her neck and show his appreciation. Logan clenched his jaw, fighting the urge.
"We should check it out," he managed, his voice rougher than intended.
"Yes!" Serena straightened suddenly, breaking contact. Logan's bear whined at the loss. "The tattoos must be how she channels her magic. That's brilliant actually - hiding in plain sight as a legitimate business."
She paced the small office, her excitement making her eyes bright behind her glasses. "We could pose as customers interested in getting matching tattoos-"
"Matching what now?" Logan's bear perked up at the idea of marking her as his, but he pushed that thought away.
"Or not," Serena backtracked, a blush creeping across her cheeks. "Just reconnaissance then. But we should definitely go soon."
Logan nodded, already planning how to keep her safe during their investigation. "Tomorrow. It's too late today, and you need rest."
"I'm fine-"
"Serena." He fixed her with a stern look that made her roll her eyes.
"Fine, tomorrow. But first thing in the morning," she insisted as she shot him an exasperated smile that made his heart skip.