Chapter 4
FOUR
Vivian
I’m running.
Branches scrape my arms as I push through the forest, lungs burning and legs shaking from exhaustion. Behind me, men shout.
“Get her!”
“Don’t let her escape!”
Panic claws up my throat as I stumble over a root and nearly fall. I force myself to keep going, heart pounding louder than the pounding footsteps behind me.
The trees suddenly open into a clearing. A tall man stands there, his broad shoulders silhouetted in the fading sunlight. Dark hair. Green eyes.
Relief crashes through me.
“My guardian angel,” I whisper.
He steps toward me. Then his body shifts. Bones crack, fur explodes across his skin, and my guardian angel is suddenly a giant bear.
I scream.
My eyes snap open.
For a second, I lie there, heart racing as the dream clings stubbornly to the edges of my mind.
My breathing slowly begins to steady.
“It was just a dream,” I whisper, but as the seconds pass, memories come rushing back.
The cabin. Logan. The moment he stepped onto the porch, and—
My stomach drops.
“Oh, my god,” I breathe.
It wasn’t a dream. It was real. Logan really did turn into a bear.
I sit up slowly in the unfamiliar bed, my mind spinning as I take in the quiet room around me. I wait, my eyes on the bedroom door. Honestly, I’m surprised he didn’t burst in here when I screamed.
He must be out.
Soft morning light filters through the window. Everything is still and peaceful.
My feet slide carefully onto the floor. I sit there for a moment, gathering my thoughts.
The last few days feel like something out of a movie.
I started by running through the woods, then collapsed in a stranger’s yard, only to be rescued by said stranger, who turned out to be a bear shifter. Oh yeah, and he’s my fated mate.
My brain still hasn’t fully processed any of it.
The house is quiet.
Maybe Logan went into town, or maybe he’s out in the woods doing… bear things.
The thought almost makes me laugh.
Slowly, I stand and creep toward the bedroom door. I crack it open and peek into the hallway.
No one.
I slip out of the room and tiptoe down the hallway, my bare feet barely making a sound against the wooden floor.
Part of me feels ridiculous for sneaking around, but another part still doesn’t know what to think about all this—about Logan, his bear, and that he thinks this place is my home and I’m his mate.
I reach the living room and glance around. Still empty.
The front door is a few steps away.
Freedom.
The thought sends a strange flutter through my chest. I could leave, slip out quietly, and disappear into the forest before Logan even knows I’m gone.
It’s what I should do. Putting distance between myself and the cult is the safest option.
My fingers tighten at my sides as I step toward the door. Another step.
Then—
The front door swings open.
I freeze as three people walk inside: two women and a man.
My heart jumps into my throat, and for a split second, I think they’ve found me, that the cult somehow tracked me here. I step back instinctively.
One of the women immediately raises her hand with a friendly smile. “Hi!”
Then I recognize one of the men—Christian, the doctor.
I lick my dry lips, staring at the woman. She’s about my age, with long brown hair and bright green eyes.
“I’m Roxie,” she says warmly.
“And I’m Quinn.” The other woman waves. “And you already know Christian,” she says, giving the giant man a sweet smile.
“Uh…” My brain struggles to catch up.
Before I summon more words, another figure appears in the doorway behind them.
Logan.
He steps inside, looking… well, grumpy. His dark hair is slightly messy, and his green eyes sweep the room quickly.
The second he sees me, his entire face softens.
The transformation is so sudden that it steals the breath from my lungs.
A slow smile spreads across his face, warm and relieved.
My chest tightens at the sight, and my stomach does a weird little swoop. I quickly look away before he notices.
“What’s all this?” I ask awkwardly.
Logan steps further into the room. “They’re here to help.”
“With what?”
He scratches the back of his neck, looking awkward and embarrassed. “Explaining shifters and fated mates.”
Roxie grins. “Since it apparently didn’t go so well when Logan tried.”
Heat floods my cheeks. Images flash through my mind of me screaming, running out the door, and slamming straight into Christian.
“Yeah,” I mutter. “About that…”
Quinn laughs softly. “Don’t worry. We’ve all had our moments. I didn’t take it well either.”
“She hopped out of the hospital room window and tried to run from me,” Christian says, pulling Quinn closer to his side.
Hearing that actually makes me feel a little better. I smile at the image and relax a little as I glance at Logan. He’s watching me carefully, like he’s worried I might bolt again. I hope that he can’t tell that I was about to do just that before they arrived.
If they’d been cult members instead of Logan’s friends, I would’ve been caught immediately.
The thought sends a shiver down my spine, though deep down, I know Logan would’ve protected me. That certainty settles strangely in my chest. It’s confusing and overwhelming having someone look out for me.
For most of my life, men haven’t been something I’ve thought about. Romance hasn’t been on my radar. After making it through school, I wanted to see the world. Instead, I got stuck in the cult. Then, the only thing I focused on was escaping, on surviving.
Now I’m standing in a cabin with a giant bear shifter who smiles at me like I’m the most important thing in the world and finding it harder and harder to leave.
Roxie gestures toward the couch. “Come sit with us. Boys, you go away.”
Logan looks like he wants to argue, but Christian grabs him and drags him into the kitchen to give us some privacy.
“So…” Roxie says gently as I perch on the edge of the armchair. “How are you feeling?”
I think about it, taking stock of my sore body and my mood. “Better.”
“Good.” Roxie smiles.
“The cult got you too?” Quinn asks.
I tense. “Too?”
She nods. “A few people in town have had… issues with them. They shot me.”
My mouth drops. “Shot?”
“I was alone on a hike.” She chuckles wryly. “Last time I did that.”
“They took me too. My mate saved me,” Roxie says.
“I’m sorry you went through that,” I say sincerely.
She smiles, leaning over to squeeze my hand.
I bite back a smile as Logan cranes his neck to check on me from the kitchen.
“So, you have a mate too?” I ask Roxie.
“Yep. Abe. He’s the best,” she sighs, swooning in her seat.
“You have questions, I’m sure,” Quinn says.
“Uh, yeah. I don’t—It’s hard to wrap my head around any of this.”
“It’s a lot to process,” Roxie agrees.
“What did Logan tell you about shifters and fated mates?” Quinn asks.
“Um, just that we’re meant to be, and he can turn into a bear. I guess he said more, but all I can remember is him shifting and me running from a bear.”
“Men,” Roxie sighs. “Honestly, Abe wasn’t much better. Though I don’t know a good way to explain all of this either, I guess.”
“Yeah,” Quinn agrees. “It’s hard to believe without seeing it, but it’s still jarring.”
“For real,” I mumble.
“Well, shifters are real,” Roxie begins. “Wolves, bears, coyotes, birds, rabbits. Basically, all kinds of animals. Most people in Night Grove Falls are shifters and part of the pack here.”
“Okay.” I nod.
“Shifters have fated mates,” Roxie continues. “It’s their person, their soulmate. They only have one.”
“How can they… tell? Like, what if he’s wrong and I’m not really his fated mate?” I ask them.
“They can smell you. It’s a unique scent, I guess, and they’re certain. You’re Logan’s mate, trust us,” Quinn says.
“And what does that mean for me?” I ask slowly.
Quinn grins. “It means you hit the jackpot.”
Roxie snorts. “Pretty much. Shifters are obsessed with their fated mates. They’ll do anything for them.”
My head spins with my racing thoughts.
“Fated mates can be overwhelming at first,” Roxie says gently.
“But it’s also kind of amazing,” Quinn adds, glancing fondly at Christian. “They love you unconditionally. From the moment they find you.”
“They worship the ground you walk on,” Roxie adds with a grin.
Warmth spreads through my chest at the thought. Someone who loves you like that, who protects you and chooses you every single day. I suddenly realize I want that. More than anything.
My gaze drifts across the room to where Logan stands near the kitchen island, leaning against the counter. He’s watching me because of course he is. He can’t seem to take his eyes off me. His expression is soft, focused, and completely devoted.
My heart stutters in my chest as I ponder the girls’ words. Maybe Logan is my only chance at having that kind of love.
Another thought quickly follows.
How can I stay so close to the cult? They’re still out there, searching for me. My parents traded me off like I were cattle. Like I meant nothing to them.
Even if Logan protects me now, he won’t always be around. What happens then?
I’m so confused. My head tells me one thing, but my heart says another. I’m not sure which one to follow.
Still, as I watch Quinn and Christian together, I can’t help but long for what they have. If Logan is my chance at that, can I pass it up?
“We should get going,” Roxie says.
Sadness washes over me as the girls stand to leave. They immediately put me at ease, and I like them a lot. I haven’t had many friends in my life, but I could see myself becoming close to both of them.
If I stay.
“You need your rest, but we’ll be back,” Quinn promises, pulling me in for a quick hug.
I smile as I return it. “Thanks for coming over. It was great to meet you guys.”
Roxie hugs me too, and they wave as they head out, leaving Logan and me standing in the living room. I watch them drive away, then turn to see Logan watching me.
“What are you thinking?” he asks.
I like how blunt he is. He gets right to the point. There’s no second-guessing or dancing around subjects. Since he’s always so honest with me, I decide to do the same for him.
“I’m thinking that I’m attracted to you,” I admit, my face heating with a fierce blush.
Logan grins, already stepping forward. He freezes as I hold up a hand to stop him, and a newfound sense of power flows through me.
“But I’m also worried about running into those guys or anyone from the cult again. I can’t go back there.”
“You never will,” he promises. “Now I’ve found you, I’ll never let you go. I’ll never let anything bad happen to you again.”
I stare at him, weighing my options, wanting desperately to believe him. I need to decide. Can I trust Logan and follow my heart? Or should I follow my head and get the heck out of Dodge?
His green eyes fill with so much hope and another emotion that looks a lot like love as I step toward him.
I pray I’m making the right decision as I close the gap between us, push up on my tiptoes, and press my lips against his.