Chapter 5
FIVE
Logan
For the first time in years, my cabin doesn’t feel quiet. It feels… alive. A new energy infuses the place, and I love it.
Vivian moves around the living room while I stand at the stove, and every small sound she makes pulls my attention like a magnet. The soft creak of the couch when she sits down. The gentle tap of her fingers against the coffee table. The quiet hum she lets out as she gets comfortable.
My bear notices everything too. He’s a caged animal inside me, prowling back and forth. Now that she’s kissed us, now that she knows what we are, he says there’s nothing stopping us from claiming her.
She needs more time to adjust, I tell him.
He snorts. She’s adjusted. She said she’s attracted to us.
As if I could forget.
I know, but she’s been through a lot. I want to make sure she’s comfortable before we claim her fully, I tell him as I flip the chicken in the pan.
I’ve cooked for myself in this kitchen thousands of times, but cooking for Vivian feels different. I’m not just feeding myself. I’m doing something important. Taking care of my mate, fulfilling her needs.
Vivian leans against the counter nearby, watching me. Her dark hair falls over one shoulder, and those light blue eyes track my movements carefully.
“Do you cook a lot?” she asks.
“Every day.”
She glances around the cabin again. “You do everything yourself, don’t you?”
“Pretty much. I’ve been on my own for a while.”
Her eyes soften. “No family?”
“No, not anymore.”
“I’m sorry, Logan.”
I shrug, adding salt and pepper to the chicken. “Thanks. It’s been a while.”
She shakes her head. “That doesn’t make it any less hard.”
“What about you?” I’m dying to know more about her. I need to know everything.
“It was always just me and my parents.” She hesitates for a second. “I told you they’re members of the cult. They joined a year ago.”
“And that’s how you wound up there,” I state, pushing down the anger.
“I went to visit them. I thought it was just that, but they’d promised me to their leader, Michael,” she spits, her nose wrinkling in disgust.
My bear grumbles. He’s happy she’s not pining after some other man, but he doesn’t like that she was promised to anyone but us.
“You’re not his,” I say roughly.
“I know.”
I relax at her words.
The rice cooker dings, and I turn the burner off on the stove. I get to work making us each a plate and setting two places at the counter.
“Dig in,” I tell her. “Take it slow. It’s been a while since you’ve eaten this much.”
She nods and grabs her fork while I take my seat next to her. My bear curls up inside me, content to be this close to her… for now.
“Have you lived here long?” she asks, taking a bite of chicken.
“Three years or so. I moved here after my parents died. Needed a new start.”
Vivian takes another bite of her food. “What do you do? Do you have a pack job? What is a pack job?”
“No, there aren’t many pack jobs, not in this pack anyway. It’s just the Alphas. I’m a woodworker. I build furniture, cabinets, that kind of thing.”
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah. It’s relaxing.”
“You’re good at it,” she says, nodding toward the cabinets.
“Thanks.”
We eat in silence for a beat.
I clear my throat. “What about you? What do you do?”
“I just graduated from college. I was looking for a job, and that’s why I came for a visit. I knew I wouldn’t have time once I started working.”
“What was your major?”
“Accounting. I’ve always been good with numbers. They made sense to me, you know?”
“Yeah. I mean, no. I’m terrible with numbers, but I get how something clicks for you.”
She smiles, and I can’t help but smile back at her.
“You could work here. I need help with my books, and I know other businesses that could use the help.”
“Maybe.”
She leans back in her chair once she’s finished eating. “What happens now?”
I stand and clear our plates. “Well, I’ll do the dishes. Do you want to take a shower or a bath? You can borrow whatever you want from my closet or dresser,” I offer. My bear and I both like the idea of her wearing our clothes.
“No, I mean I’ll shower, but I was asking what happens next with us.” She wrings her hands nervously.
I want to gather her in my arms and comfort her, but I settle for leaning against the counter next to her. “We’ll go at your pace. Whatever you’re comfortable with. I should warn you, though, that the full moon is tomorrow night. I know what it’s like for shifters, and I think humans feel it too.”
“Feel what?”
“The mating heat.”
“That sounds… intense.”
“It is. It’s this strong desire. As the full moon rises, our need for each other will grow stronger.”
“Need.”
“Lust,” I offer.
She blushes. “Oh.”
“Again, we’ll go at your pace. We won’t do anything you don’t want.”
“I’ve never, um, had sex before,” she admits softly.
My bear roars inside me, and my cock hardens at the thought of being my mate’s one and only.
“Me neither. We’ll figure it out together. When you’re ready.”
She smiles at me gratefully, and I stand to get started on the dishes.
“What’s it like for you? I mean, when I first saw you, I felt safe and achy. I’ve never really noticed guys, but I noticed you.”
Her words aren’t helping the situation in my pants.
“It was like seeing the sun for the first time,” I say honestly. “Before you, my days were gray and lifeless. Everything changed when you stumbled into my yard. Now I feel like I have a purpose. I have something to look forward to each day.”
I look at her and see her melting at my words, so I go on.
“I’m happy, truly happy. I didn’t realize how lonely I was until you came into my life. Now I’m having guests and making new friends. You’ve made my life so much better already, and it’s only been a few days.”
Her light blue eyes are locked on me as I finish the dishes and dry my hands.
“I already want you, mate. Badly. That will never change. It will always only ever be you.”
Vivian licks her full lips.
“I know it’s not the same for you since you’re human, but I’ll do anything to make you happy with me. I will always keep you safe and take care of you. I—”
“I’m ready,” she says, interrupting me.
I freeze. “What?”
She smiles softly. “I’m ready. For this. For you. I want you. I want it all.”
Relief crashes through me so hard that I nearly laugh.
“Thank fuck,” I breathe.
Before I can stop myself, I pull her out of her chair. Vivian gasps softly as I wrap my arms around her. I wonder if I should slow down, but I can’t. I kiss her. Hard and deep, like I’ve been waiting my entire life to do it.
Luckily for me, she kisses me back just as passionately.
Her fingers clutch the front of my shirt like she needs something solid to hold onto, and I tighten my arms around her waist, pulling her flush against me.
She’s warm and soft and real in my arms, and my bear practically purrs inside my chest.
Mine.
The word echoes through my head, deep and possessive.
I tilt my head, deepening the kiss, and Vivian lets out a soft whimper that goes straight through me. Her lips part beneath mine, hesitant at first, but then she relaxes and melts against me like she trusts me completely.
That trust hits me harder than anything else.
I slow the kiss slightly, giving her space to breathe, brushing my mouth over hers again and again. Each kiss is softer than the last, slower, savoring. I’m not trying to rush this moment. I want to remember it.
My mate.
My hand slides up her back to cup the back of her head, my fingers threading gently into her dark hair. It’s even softer than I imagined, silky against my skin as I guide her closer.
When I finally pull back, it’s only an inch. Our foreheads rest together, and we both breathe a little harder. Vivian’s cheeks are pink, her lips swollen from my kisses, and her light blue eyes are wide as she looks up at me.
“Wow,” she whispers.
A quiet laugh rumbles out of my chest before I can stop it. “Yeah.”
I brush my thumb over her cheek, tracing the curve. She leans into my touch instinctively, and my heart squeezes in my chest.
“You okay?” I ask softly.
She nods immediately. “More than okay.”
Her hands slide up my chest slowly, almost like she’s exploring. Feeling. Learning me.
“I was nervous,” she admits quietly. “But that felt… right.”
The word settles deep inside me. Right. Exactly how it feels to me too.
I press another kiss to her forehead, gentler this time. “It always will,” I promise.
She looks up at me again, a little smile tugging at her lips. “You’re very confident about that.”
“I am.” My thumb teases her bottom lip, and her breath catches. “You’re my mate.”
For a second, neither of us moves.
Then Vivian rises on her toes and kisses me again.
This time, it’s slower. Curious. Her hands slide around my neck, and I instinctively wrap my arms around her waist again, lifting her slightly so she doesn’t have to stretch so much.
She gasps softly, and the sound makes my chest rumble with quiet satisfaction.
I walk us a few steps until her back gently meets the counter behind her. I make sure I don’t trap her there, though, keeping my body loose, giving her room to move if she wants to.
She doesn’t. Instead, her fingers curl into my hair, and she kisses me deeper.
My bear practically melts.
When we finally break apart again, she rests her head against my chest, breathing a little harder.
I wrap my arms around her and hold her there, my chin resting on the top of her head. For the first time since I moved in, my cabin feels like a home. And as I hold my mate in my arms, I realize something that makes my chest tighten.
I’m never letting her go.