CHAPTER NINE – LILY #2
He leads the way, but Logan is still scowling as the other alphas file out.
I’d scoff at the glares they shoot each other if I wasn’t distracted by a nine-year-old blur pushing past them, a yapping Bloomer on his heels.
They almost tumble into the room and my heart sinks and soars at the same time, leaving me weak at the knees.
My baby is home, but his arm is wrapped in a white sling, and I feel acid burn in my stomach as I take in the raw, red scratch on his face. “Leo! What happened to you?”
He skips over to me, his free hand making up for his injured one as he flings it around my neck, giving me a lightning-quick kiss. “Nothing. The stupid rope broke on the swing and I missed the river.”
“What? How do you miss a river?”
I gape over his head at Logan, but Leo is already hurrying into the kitchen, making a beeline for the snack cabinet.
“I’m starving!” he whines. “Logan said it was good to live off the land, but the land doesn’t have Twizzlers or Pop Tarts.
” He grabs an armful of junk food, dropping it all over the counter and tearing at the packaging one-handed.
“Geez, I think I can hear my stomach eating itself.”
While Leo falls on the food like a starving animal, Logan’s head swivels from my son to the front door and back again. Watching the shock in his eyes give way to a deep, unexpected hurt makes my insides burn. “I can explain, Logan.”
He crosses his arms slowly, a deep groove settling between his brows. “I think the truth is staring me in the face.”
I’d flinch at his tone if I didn’t have a bigger bomb about to go off.
I can hear Ellis out on the porch, his attention momentarily diverted by a phone call, but I know he will be coming back soon.
And there’s no way I’m letting Leo learn about his father when he’s injured, overtired, and clearly spiraling.
Under the scrape on his cheek, he’s unnaturally pale, and there’s a glitter in his eyes that tells me he’s on the verge of a crash.
“Come on, big guy. You need a bath.” I put an arm around his shoulders, steering him away from the pile of snacks and towards the stairs.
He drags his feet, but he’s trembling as he leans into me.
As we head upstairs, I can feel Otley and Tristan watching us, but I’m careful to shield Leo with my body.
“As soon as you’re clean, you can tell me all about your trip. ”
“But the snacks,” he whines, stumbling a little as I steer him across the landing and into the bathroom.
“They’ll still be there after your bath,” I tell him as I carefully peel him out of his loose tank and shorts.
He’s no dirtier than he gets in our backyard, but there’s a bruise on his hip and I grimace as I fill the tub.
While he waits, Leo drifts to the mirror and pokes at the scratch on his cheek. “Cool! Rock rash.”
I shudder, tossing some healing oils into the water and then grabbing the first aid kit from the cabinet. “Rock rash isn’t cool,” I admonish him. “Are you sore anywhere else?”
“Nah. A lady at the campground was a nurse, and she put me in the sling. She said it’s just a sprain, but I have to keep it on until I see Doc Munster.”
“He’s away with Rosie,” I remind him as I clean the scratch on his face. It’s a superficial graze, thank God, but he still hisses as I swab it with an antiseptic wipe. “I’ll take you to see Dr. Burns.”
“He smells funny,” Leo groans, but doesn’t resist as I help him into the tub.
He has to balance his arm on the edge so the sling doesn’t get wet, and I can see the tremble of exhaustion in his shoulders.
When I run the washcloth over his chest, his lashes flutter and he leans his head against my thigh. “Who are the guys in suits, Mom?”
“Friends from the city.” I know he means the security detail, but his eyelids are drooping, and a yawn slips free. I can’t resist giving his soft curls a gentle tug. “Didn’t get much sleep, huh, bud?”
He tips his head back and grins up at me. “I ate so many s’mores, I puked in the bushes.”
“Hmm. Not really hearing a lot of good things about this trip so far.”
He struggles up suddenly, sloshing water onto the floor. “Nah, mom! Logan taught me so much, and it was the best ever! I mean, the best trip without you.”
“Charmer.” I ruffle his hair again and help him out of the tub, careful of his arm as I wrap him in a towel.
When he’s dry, I steer him down the hall to his room and prop him on the edge of his bed.
Normally, he’d insist that he can dress himself, but he only starts to complain when I pull back his comforter.
“Nine’s too old for naps,” he slurs as I settle him on his pillow.
“Then just rest your eyes for a bit.”
His lips part on a tiny snore. “Uh-hungh.”
I wait until he’s out, then cross the room and step into the hall, gently closing the door. When I don’t hear any mutterings from inside, I lean my head against the wood, feeling weary down to my toes.
“Goddamn, Lily.”
I swallow my gasp as Logan whirls me around, his big body covering mine. His nose goes straight to my scent gland, and while he breathes me in, my lungs fill with amber musk. It’s like a bolt to my hungry little heart and I clench his arms, tilting my chin to receive his kiss.
He devours me, like he’s trying to drive everything out of my head except for the taste of him.
But his muscles tremble under my hands, and he drags his nose down my cheek, brushing back and forth as he scent-marks me.
When he speaks, his voice is a jagged sigh in my ear.
“He’s Leo’s dad? Why didn’t you tell me? ”
“I didn’t lie.” I press my head against the door so I can meet his eyes. I’m not surprised they’re hooded with hurt. “They’re the Californian alphas from my heat.”
“Both of them?”
“Yes. And Tristan is their mate.”
“Right.” He rubs his thumbs across my cheeks, his mouth a tight, unhappy line. “Ellis Castle. That’s way out of my league.”
“And mine.” He starts to protest but I shake my head. “I’m not delusional, Logan. Once I worked out who he was, I knew he’d already given me the best thing he could.” I press a hand to the door behind me. “Leo.”
“But you’ve been in contact with them? All this time?”
There’s an edge to his voice, more of that hurt seeping out.
“No. I mean, I wrote to them at first. When I realized I was pregnant, I knew I had to at least let them know. You’d joined up and I wasn’t sure if I could make it work on my own.
” His scent sours with regret, but I won’t let it settle.
We had our own paths to walk, and besides, I had Rosie, Kaysie, and Marion to help.
We made mistakes, and there were some really hard days, but I’ve learned it’s only when you feel most alone that you realize how many people have your back.
“It’s in the past now, Logan. And I wouldn’t change a thing about Leo. ”
“Except that your past is standing right downstairs.” His face hardens, a gleam of possession darkening his eyes.
“Did he reply to your letters?” I dip my head, old hurts resurfacing, and Logan grunts.
“So, he ignores you when you need him and waltzes in now, like he has the right?” His hand tightens on my arm.
“Why are they here, Lily? What do they want?”
“I don’t know.” I bite my lip, and a growl trembles in the back of his throat.
Logan is usually a pretty composed guy, but he’s never had to face something like this when it comes to Leo and me.
We might not be officially bonded, but most people in Knotty Falls assume we’re together.
A few guys have shown interest over the years, but Logan has always come back to us, and they’ve never stuck around to challenge him for our company.
“They say they just want to get to know us, but if they try to take Leo from me…”
The growl breaks free, and Logan thumps a hand against the wall. “Over my dead fucking body!”
“Shhh!” I jerk my head at Leo’s door and nudge him further down the hall. “Logan, losing it isn’t going to help. Besides, this is my problem to fix.”
He looks like I’ve slapped him. “What do you mean? Your problems are my problems, Lily.”
I stroke his tense cheek, wondering how to explain that everything feels like it’s hanging by a thread.
There’s not just the fact that Leo’s father is back in the picture.
That’s stressful enough, especially given Ellis’ fame and influence.
But then there’s the added complexity of my Californian alphas being my scent matches.
Scent matches who rejected me, or at the very least, never went out of their way to reconnect after my heat.
Every way I look at it, there are layers and layers of potential pain that I really don’t feel up to facing right now.
“He’s mine too, Lily,” Logan says quietly, and I realize his thoughts have been racing in a different direction. “My name is on his birth certificate. Maybe I haven’t always been here for him, and I’m really sorry for that, but I’ll be his dad in every way once we’re bonded.”
“I know.” I grab his hand and squeeze it. “Leo loves you so much, Logan. He already thinks of you as part of our family.”
“Except he’s got my face.” We both jerk apart, staring down the stairs to where Ellis is studying the pictures on the wall. “I have a son.” He doesn’t sound joyful now, and what I can see of his face is stark with shock. “Why didn’t you tell me I have a son, Lily?”
“You have shit!” Logan growls, wrenching away from me and stomping down the stairs. “You had your chance, bud, and you blew it. He’s mine now, and so is Lily.”
Once upon a time I might have swooned at Logan Sawyer claiming me in public, but this is definitely not the time or place. I hurry down the stairs, gripping his arm until he turns back to face me. “Logan! That’s enough.”