Chapter 14
Sera
“It’s time for us to get a move on,” Logan murmured. “Let’s wrap your leg, Aidan.”
Using the remnants of my shirt, Logan wrapped the fabric around Aidan’s injury. Then Logan’s fingers curled lightly but firmly around my arm, guiding me gently forward, the casual dominance of the gesture irritating me almost as much as it reassured me.
Jamie took position just ahead, casting amused glances back at me every few steps, a teasing light in his eyes that grated on my frayed nerves.
Edward flanked me on the other side, his expression unreadable, jaw tight with that perpetual military-like discipline.
Aidan limped slightly behind, stoic and silent, his presence somehow both soothing and unsettling at the same time.
The men moved instinctively into a protective formation around me, leaving no doubt that they considered me theirs.
My heart pounded wildly, a storm of conflicting emotions raging inside me. This was madness. Just yesterday, I’d have fought tooth and nail to kill these wolves. Now I walked among them, tied to them by something far stronger than choice or logic.
As we turned a corner, Logan broke the silence, his voice hushed, yet still commanding, “We regroup back at the pub. We’ll get supplies, clothes for Sera, and then move out immediately to search for Declan.”
I pulled my coat closed, fully aware of my nakedness beneath it.
Edward nodded curtly. “Good call. We need to inform the other pack—Magnus, Tobias, Callum, Thorne, Killian. Zara too. They have to be warned about this Elder Lycan, just in case this goes sideways.”
The names of Zara’s pack were familiar from my intel. I’d tracked them all, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, strategies. Hearing their names now, knowing I’d soon meet them face to face as an ally rather than a hunter, sent another wave of uncomfortable tension crawling up my spine.
Jamie glanced back at me, his mouth quirking into that irritatingly charming grin. “Don’t worry, lass. Magnus and the others, they’ll welcome you with open arms. Especially when they hear you knocked Logan flat on his arse a few times.”
Logan scowled, though amusement flickered briefly across his eyes. “She got lucky.”
Jamie chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Alpha.”
I rolled my eyes, fighting an uncomfortable warmth at their banter, the easy camaraderie between them. It stirred a longing inside me, an ache for a closeness that I’d only last experienced with my dead brother.
Logan’s voice turned serious again, tension returning as he spoke, “We have less than twenty-four hours to find Declan, just in case he’s been bitten. We can’t waste a second. Every minute counts.”
Edward nodded grimly, clearly already formulating a tactical plan. “Agreed. We regroup fast, arm ourselves fully, then move out to hunt this Elder Lycan down before it’s too late.”
Aidan limped forward a little faster and Logan glanced back at him, concern flickering briefly across his expression. “You going to be okay, Aidan?”
Aidan met his gaze steadily, stubborn determination clear in his features. “I’ll be fine. I’m not losing Declan too—not after everything we’ve been through.”
His quiet words sent an uncomfortable twist through my chest, the raw emotion in his voice tugging at the feeling of grief deep within me. I’d lost family too. I understood that pain intimately. Maybe these wolves weren’t as different from me as I’d always believed.
Logan seemed satisfied, nodding slowly before turning back toward me, his eyes softening slightly when they met mine. “You good?”
I bristled immediately at his concern, pride demanding a snide retort, but the earnestness of his expression tempered my response. I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to relax slightly beneath his concerned gaze. “I’m fine.”
Jamie snorted softly, clearly not convinced. “Fine, aye? You look ready to chew your way free at any moment.”
I glared sharply at him. “Keep pushing and maybe I’ll bite you first.”
He laughed, completely unfazed. “Sounds promising.”
I shook my head slightly, chuckling low in my throat despite myself. Somehow, Jamie’s easy banter loosened a knot in my chest, even as it irritated the hell out of me.
As we moved steadily through Dublin’s streets toward their pub, I couldn’t help the restless anxiety rising within me. I’d be facing their full pack soon, wolves I’d once considered enemies. Allies now—if fate and these stubborn wolves had their way.
Edward’s quiet voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Once we’re back at the pub, you can put on some clean clothes. We’ve got clothes that should fit you—might be a bit big, but they’ll do.”
I glanced at him, startled by his pragmatic kindness. “Thank you,” I murmured, oddly appreciative despite myself.
He nodded briefly, a faint warmth flickering in his eyes. “We’re not your enemy anymore, Sera. Whether you believe it yet or not, we’re here for you.”
My stomach twisted uncomfortably, frustration simmering hot beneath my skin as Logan guided me forward.
I hated that even his gentle grip felt like a shackle, like a leash pulling me deeper into their dangerous orbit.
I knew exactly who I was, who I’d always been—an operative of the Watch.
It was my sworn duty to protect humanity from creatures like them.
These wolves were my targets, dangerous threats who needed to be neutralized before they could do more damage. Nothing more.
My jaw tightened with renewed resolve, defiance flaring bright inside me again. I had to hold on to that truth, grip it with everything I had. I’d already allowed myself to weaken, allowed them to cloud my judgment. It couldn’t continue.
“Why don’t you tell us more about yourself, lass?” Jamie asked casually from ahead of me, his tone deceptively light. “We’ve barely scratched the surface, and it looks like we’ll be stuck with each other for a while.”
I scoffed, irritation surging suddenly. “There’s nothing to tell. I’m not here to bond or make friends.”
Edward glanced at me, one eyebrow lifting slightly in dry delight. “Bit late for that, love. Seems we’ve already bonded plenty.”
I scowled fiercely, hating the heat that flooded my cheeks at his implication. “Temporary setback.”
Logan moved closer, his voice calm, but quietly authoritative. “Temporary? That’s what you call a mate bond? You felt it just as clearly as we did. You can deny it all you want, but you’re our mate. Permanently.”
I pulled against his grip, resentment twisting bitterly inside me. “I’m Sera Moore, an assassin for the Watch. My mission is clear. Just because you’ve managed to get a temporary hold on me doesn’t change who I am or what my mission is.”
Aidan studied me carefully, his voice calm. “So you’d still kill us, even now, after everything?”
I forced a cold, indifferent mask onto my face, meeting his gaze evenly. “In a heartbeat. It’s my duty. You’re all dead men walking; you just don’t realize it yet.”
Logan shook his head slowly. “I don’t trust them. I don’t think you should either.”
I hesitated, my pulse quickening at the uncomfortable truth hidden behind his words. I shoved it quickly aside, holding tight to stubborn defiance. “The Watch protects humanity. It always has.”
Jamie snorted softly, shaking his head. “So you’ve never questioned them, lass? Never doubted these missions they send you on? Seems to me there’s a lot your Watch might be keeping from you.”
Anger flared hotly at his casual insinuation. “You don’t know the first thing about the Watch, me, or my missions,” I snapped. “Don’t pretend like you do.”
Edward’s calm tone cut through the rising tension. “Then tell us. If you’re so convinced we’re doomed and that you’ll escape eventually, there’s no harm in talking. Might as well share a little information. Who exactly are you, Sera Moore? How did you end up hunting wolves for your precious Watch?”
I hesitated, suspicion narrowing my eyes.
He was baiting me, testing my defenses. Still, I realized bitterly, perhaps he was right.
Why not indulge them now, answer their pointless questions, bide my time until I could find an opening?
Eventually, I’d slip away, report back to the Watch, and return to finish what I’d started.
“My brother,” I finally muttered, voice bitter, edged with old pain. “I lost him years ago. A wolf killed him. It tore him apart. I joined the Watch to ensure no one else would have to experience a loss like that ever again.”
Aidan frowned slightly, clearly troubled. “I’m sorry about your brother, but we’re not like the wolf who hurt him. Ferals are our enemy, too. You’re judging us for crimes we didn’t commit.”
I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat, forcing my voice to remain even. “You’re all the same. Wolves destroy, kill, take what doesn’t belong to them. Just like you’re trying to take me now. Don’t expect sympathy or forgiveness just because you talk about some ridiculous mate bond.”
Logan exhaled slowly, clearly frustrated. “The Elder Lycan is a threat to all of us—human and wolf alike. We need each other, whether you want to accept that or not.”
I remained silent as I turned my gaze forward again, stubbornly planning my next move.
They could say whatever they wanted. My loyalty belonged to the Watch and to humans.
As soon as I could escape, I’d return, report everything and then, no matter how much it might twist something that felt traitorous within me, I’d fulfill my duty. I’d end these wolves.
We moved through the streets in tense, heavy silence after that, broken only by the low murmurs of the pack discussing Declan.
My jaw remained clenched tightly, shoulders squared, my eyes fixed forward, stubbornly avoiding even a glance toward the wolves surrounding me.
I refused to acknowledge the faint, dangerous tug deep within my chest that threatened to betray me every time one of them brushed too close.