Chapter 5
It was an August evening–warm, heavy with the scent of blooming night jasmine. The sky above was streaked in amber and lilac, and the last glow of sunlight clung stubbornly to the clouds. The air felt thick, like it hadn’t quite cooled off from the heat of the day. I pushed
open the iron gate.
And there he was.
Standing under the streetlight like a memory I hadn’t shaken off.
Logan.
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Still that same handsome face. Still that refined air like he belonged to an ancient bloodline
-which, of course, he did.
He was the future Alpha of the Crescent Claw Pack, after all.
When his amber eyes met mine, I saw that familiar spark. Like he was seeing me for the first time–again.
Damn it. Still so good–looking.
My heart didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was, I’d fallen for him years ago.
“Rae,” he said softly, “did you eat?”
I nodded. “Why are you here, Logan?”
He hesitated. “Rae, I’m sorry. About earlier. I shouldn’t have left you waiting at the council
registry.”
I gave him a dry smile. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
Truth was, the moment I hung up the call on him today, his wolf got uneasy. That’s why he showed up here–because something in him said I was slipping through his fingers.
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He looked me over again, confused. I wasn’t crying. I wasn’t angry. Just quiet.
Too quiet.
“Are you mad at me, Rae?” he asked. “Because I bailed on the ceremony? Because I left you
at the Hall?”
There it was. The question he already knew the answer to.
He knew I’d be hurt. He just thought it wouldn’t matter.
Because I always forgave him.
Because I was just that silly girl who trailed after him for years–thinking love meant loyalty, even when it hurt.
He knew I liked him too much.
So he pushed. And I always let him.
But not tonight.
Seeing the chill in my expression, he thought it was just another one of my moods. Something he could fix with a hug and a sweet word.
He reached out to ruffle my hair–like he used to–but I pulled away before he could.
“Emma’s health is bad,” he explained. “Really bad. She needs surgery from a human specialist overseas. The timing’s tight–she has to get it done within forty–eight hours or she might never fight properly again.”
I laughed once, sharp. “There’s no one else in this whole damn world? No healting witch? No hired escort? Just you? And screw our mating ceremony, right?”
He frowned. “Don’t twist this. Rae, I only see you. Emma’s like a sister. She’s not bonded to
anyone, and I don’t trust strangers to handle her care. I’ll be back soon. I swear.”
He looked down at me. “When I come back, I’ll give you a proper bond ceremony–one the
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whole region will talk about.”
I swallowed hard.
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He had no idea what this delay meant for a she–wolf. Being unbonded after a public
announcement… it wasn’t just shameful–it was dangerous. Packs watched these things.
Mate politics weren’t a joke.
But before I could say it, his phone rang.
That ringtone.
Emma’s.
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She used to brag about it–how she had her own custom tone on Logan’s phone since high school. One day I’d heard it, and he just shrugged.
“She set it herself, Rae. You can pick one too. I’ll know it’s you.”
But I never did.
Because I didn’t want what was already handed out to someone else.
And in that moment, it hit me.
I was never the one.
She had his attention. His protection. His passwords.
I had what? Patience?
Thinking about it now, I must’ve looked pathetic.
Maybe I was the outsider all along.
Even now, after everything–my stupid heart still skipped when I first saw him tonight.
But not anymore.
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I stood silent while he picked up.
“Logan?” came Emma’s voice, soft and whimpering. “Where are you? The plane’s boarding.”
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He smiled gently. “I’m coming, Emma. Just sit tight. Don’t move around too much. I’ll be
there in a minute.”
After a few more soft reassurances, he hung up and looked at me.
Then at his watch.
“I’ve gotta go. Rae-”
“I — ”
“Beep! Beep!”
A horn cut me off.
Logan moved fast. Pulled me into a tight hug before I could react.
“Wait for me, Rae. Let me come back and claim
you.”
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And then he ran.
Didn’t look back.
Didn’t wait for my answer.
I didn’t stop him either.
There would be no ‘next time.‘
From the car, Logan glanced back one last time–saw me standing alone beneath the streetlight.
Something tightened in his chest. His wolf stirred, uneasy.
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The urge to leap out, run back, and say “Screw it. I’m not going,” nearly overtook him.
Chapter 5
He even opened his mouth, the word “Stop” right on the edge of his lips-
But his phone rang again.
Emma.
Logan said nothing.
And the moment passed.
