by DJ Bryce
“I know,” Marta whispered, reaching for my hand and squeezing it. “I’m so happy for you.”
“I can’t wait for you to get to know her.”
“Then, let’s go get to know your girl, Logan.”
Chapter 16
Natasha
“When we were fifteen, we all decided to camp out at the lake…” Marta was saying, then she had to stop because she was giggling uncontrollably.
To say it had been a great night was a vast understatement. Derrik and Marta were totally cool, and the three of them together were hilarious. They obviously loved each other, and had a ton of stories of the crazy things they’d done when they were younger.
“Wait, I don’t know if we should tell this story,” Derrik began, sitting up straight in his seat and putting a hand playfully over Marta’s mouth.
Dinner was long over, and we’d been hanging out by the lake, drinking and chatting. Marta and I had gotten pretty tipsy, while the men had sipped their beers and watched us with matching grins.
“Ohhhh, it must be a good one then,” I cried, sitting up too quickly and causing my wine to slosh out of my glass. “Tell me!”
“Logan had his eye on Jocqueline, the prettiest girl in the senior class. Now normally, seniors stick with boys in their own grade, having no time for underclassman, but this was Logan we’re talking about. He was already tall, and was beginning to fill out, and not only was he handsome, he was our next Chief.”
“He was hot,” I said with a nod. “I can picture it.”
I looked at Logan and winked, his eyes darkened a bit, but his lips were still turned up.
“Yeah, me, too,” Derrik said wryly. “Are you sure you picked the right bear?”
Marta slapped him on the thigh and laughed, then leaned so far toward him that she almost fell in his lap.
“If you’ll remember,” she said, like she was attempting to whisper, but failing. “That’s the night you claimed me… I think we got it just right.”
Derrik flushed at that, but caught her in his arms before she fell, and kissed her on the crown of her head.
They were so cute together.
“How have things been with the clan?” Logan asked Derrik, and although I knew he was changing the subject and hoping Marta wouldn’t notice, I didn’t mind. I wouldn’t want my family and friends detailing my past conquest in front of him.
“Pretty great, although there were a couple of developments with the auto shop, and Mika wants to talk to you about a marketing idea she has,” Derrik answered, then bent to look at his wife when the faint sound of her snores started. “I better get this one home, maybe you can come by the office tomorrow and we can go over everything.”
“Yeah, I was planning on stopping by first thing,” Logan said as he stood. I took the hand he offered me and let him help me up, then watched as Derrik swung Marta up and into his arms.
“Wow, she’s really out,” I exclaimed when she didn’t wake up.
“When Marta falls asleep, that’s it, she’ll be lights out until morning,” Derrik said as we followed him around the house to their car.
“Thanks for coming, it was great to meet you. I had such a wonderful night,” I said after he’d deposited Marta in the front seat. Derrik pulled me in for a quick hug, much to my surprise and pleasure, then shifted and clapped his hand on Logan’s back.
“Thanks for having us, I’m sure Marta will be calling you in the morning, embarrassed that she fell asleep. Wine does that to her, though.”
“Oh, no, she has nothing to be embarrassed about,” I assured him. “Do have her call, though.”
Logan and I stood there and watched as Derrik drove away, then made our way back into the house. I was absolutely exhausted after everything that had happened over the last few days, and was hoping to be happily snoozing like Marta soon.
“I’ll get the stuff from out back, why don’t you head up?” Logan suggested, and I gave him a grateful smile.
I changed into one of Logan’s t-shirts, thinking I really needed to head back and get my things, then brushed my teeth before crawling into the lusciously soft bed and snuggling under the covers. Within seconds, I was asleep.
I woke to the feel of the bed depressing as Logan got in beside me and pulled me against him until we were spooning.
I tried to turn my head toward him, to say what I don’t know, and I must have made some sort of sound, because Logan kissed me gently on the temple and said, “Sleep, Natasha, my love.”
And, I did.
“Babe… Natasha…” I could hear Logan, but he sounded far away, and it felt like I had to pull myself toward the sound of his voice.
“Hmmanma,” I managed, still stuck halfway in sleep.
“I’m going to head into the office, but I’ll be back soon. Go back to sleep,” he said, and I felt his lips on my cheek, then fell back asleep.
I opened my eyes some time later, blinking as I tried to orient myself. I stretched and looked around the room, a bright light from a crack in the curtains seeping through, reminding me that I was at Logan’s.
I got up, stretching before I stood, then wandered through the house, looking for my mate. When I walked into the kitchen, I saw a note on the counter.
Natasha, I’m at the office. Make yourself at home, I’ll be back soon. Love, Logan.
I was smiling down at his note in my hand, when the I heard a phone ringing. My head turned toward the sound, and I saw Logan’s phone hooked up to the charger on his desk in the other room.
Rushing through the door, I grabbed for the phone and pressed on, assuming it was Logan and hoping to catch him before he hung up.
“Hello?” I said, somewhat breathless.
“Tasha.” It took me a moment to realize the voice on the other end was Mateo’s, not Logan’s. And he sounded frantic.
“Mateo, what’s wrong?”
“There’s been a fire at Howler’s. I’ve been trying to reach you and Logan all morning… And when I couldn’t, I started driving. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
“Here? What? A fire?” My still fuzzy morning brain made what he was saying harder for me to comprehend.
“Brick was in Gilly’s apartment, Tasha.”
Chapter 17
Logan
“I’m back,” I called as I walked in and threw my keys on the counter. Moving toward where I’d left my phone charging, I kept an ear cocked, listening for Natasha’s approach.
Was it possible she was still sleeping?
I looked at the face of my phone, noted the time, and went toward the bedroom, glancing around the house as I moved. I stopped in the doorway, taking in the still messy, but empty, bed, then the open bathroom door. All the lights were off, and I couldn’t hear a thing.
A knot formed in my gut and I turned to go back through the house, this time yelling Natasha’s name as I searched.
Had she left? Been taken? Gone for a walk?
When it became obvious the house was empty, I hurried outside, down the steps and onto the patio we’d hung out on the night before. I searched the surface of the lake, the tree line, and all of my visible land, but there was nothing.
No one.
No sign of Natasha.
My phone made a sound, still in my hand, so I lifted it absently, that knot having grown into a full-blown war in my stomach.
Glancing down, I saw I’d had at least twenty missed calls from Mateo, before one had been answered. Not bothering to check my messages, I hit dial and put the phone to my ear. It rang and rang, but Mateo didn’t pick up.
Rather than leave a message, I hung up and dialed Max.
“Logan, shit, man, are you on your way?” Max asked hurriedly after less than one ring.
“On my way? What’s going on?” I asked, my blood running cold.
Could something have happened to Natasha?
“You haven’t heard? Sorry, I thought since Mateo had picked up Natasha, you already knew… There was a fire at Howler’s, lo
oks like the Threehorn Pack, Brick was asleep upstairs,” Max explained gravely.
“Christ,” I exclaimed as I rushed to get my keys off the counter, head out the door and get into my truck. “On my way,” I said as I tore down the lane, acknowledging Max’s, “We’re all at the hospital. See you soon, brother,” before disconnecting.
I drove as fast as possible, eager to get to my mate and make sure she was okay. I was worried about Brick, and angry for Mateo and his pack. The Threehorn Pack obviously hadn’t decided to back down after holding Natasha and her friend against their will, and were still trying to ruin Mateo’s pack.
Something had to be done to put them in their place, but Natasha and her family were my first priority.
In record time, I pulled into the hospital parking lot, parked quickly and jumped out.
As I walked through the automatic doors, a looked to the check in desk and said, “Brick Matthews.”
“Second floor, honey,” the nurse said, her tone gentle. Consoling.
Shit.
Bypassing the elevator, I took the stairs two at a time and crashed through the door at the top that led to the second floor. I looked left, then right, and saw Mateo leaning his forehead against the wall down the hall.
At my approach, Mateo rolled his forehead until his eyes were on me, and I had to control my flinch at the pain reflected there.
He may not be ready to admit the Brick was his mate yet, but Mateo’s feelings were all right there on the surface. The fact that he was this shaken up, had me worrying even more about Natasha and how she was handling things.
I needed to find my mate.
“Natasha?” I bit out, but Mateo just rolled his head back and resumed looking at the ground.
“Logan?” I heard her call out, and turned toward the sound of her voice.
I found them all in the waiting room. Some sitting, some pacing, but I only had eyes for Natasha, who was sitting next to Gilly, their arms wrapped around each other as they waited. Her gaze hit mine and I nearly stumbled with relief.
There she was, safe and in one piece.
Natasha untangled herself from her sister, leapt to her feet and rushed into my arms.
“Logan,” she said on a sob, and I held her as she cried, my heart breaking with each rack of breath.
I stroked her back and held her tightly, while my eyes sought Maximus.
“He’s been back there for about an hour. He was unconscious and they’re worried about smoke inhalation, and burns of course, but we haven’t seen him, so we really don’t know anything. Just that he was breathing when he arrived, so there’s hope.”
“And Threehorn?” I asked as softly as I could, even though I wanted to shout angrily.
Actually, what I wanted to do was shift, run to their land, and tear their throats out, but with Natasha sobbing in my arms, and Gilly going shakily to Max’s, I knew I needed to keep my shit together until we knew more about Brick.
Once I knew he was okay, and I had Natasha tucked safely at her place, then I’d get with Mateo and his council and see when we were going to go out and seek revenge. It didn’t matter that this wasn’t my clan, and I wasn’t a wolf, they’d messed with Natasha’s family, which meant that messed with my family.
And, no one, messed with my family and lived. Not like this.
Chapter 18
Natasha
Brick was going to be okay.
I kept repeating those words over and over in my head as I stood in his hospital room.
Overall, he’d been really lucky. Brick hadn’t been burned in the fire, which was an absolute blessing. He had, unfortunately, been asleep and inhaled a lot of smoke before the firemen had rescued him.
That’s why, he was laying in the bed, his skin dark with soot, and an oxygen mask covering his mouth. And, when he’d spoke, his voice was really hoarse.
I was trying not to cry as I looked at my brother in that bed, still looking like he’d just been grabbed from a fire, and kept repeating that mantra in my head. Because, he was going to be okay, he just needed to get plenty of rest, stay on the oxygen for a while, and avoid things that may irritate his lungs.
They said they wanted to keep him overnight, but then he’d be able to go home. Obviously, not back to Gilly’s apartment over Howlers, because Mateo and I had driven past Howlers, and there was nothing left.
I’d almost gotten hysterical in that moment, seen the smoking ruble of what was left of the bar that had been in our pack for generation. The visual proof of how lucky Brick was to be alive, but I’d kept it together. Mostly because, I knew if I lost it, so would Mateo. The poor guy was hanging on by a thread.
That was when I knew Logan was right. Mateo loved my brother, and he was his mate. I’d just hoped this would be the wakeup call he needed to come out to the pack. I couldn’t worry about that now, though, that was between Brick and Mateo. All I wanted was to be there for my brother and make him as comfortable as possible as he recovered.
“He’ll be okay,” Logan whispered, his arms coming around me.
I leaned back, accepting his comfort, then turned my cheek toward him and asked, “Can we talk in the hall?”
“Yeah,” he said, taking my hand and leading me out of the room. “What do you need?”
If it was possible, I fell even more in love with him in that moment, because although I knew what I was about to ask isn’t exactly what he was hoping for right now, the fact that he was willing to be there for me no matter what, was evident in his question.
“Brick’s going to need a place to stay, and someone to look after him,” I began, but Logan knew where I was going before I finished my thought.
“Hey, Natasha, don’t worry about it. I completely understand,” he said, taking my hands in his. “You want to be here for your brother, so you can’t move in with me right away.” When I nodded, he continued making my heart swell, “I’ll travel back and forth, being here with you when I can, but handling clan business back at home. I don’t want to be apart from you for too long.”
I smiled at that, because truthfully, I didn’t want that either.
He was being so understanding, but I wanted him to know that this didn’t mean our plans were totally on hold.
“While we’re at my place, I’ll start packing, and doing what I need to do around the house to put it on the market. It’s not like Brick will want me in his hair twenty-four-seven, and well, I don’t have a job anymore, so…”
Logan’s grin grew larger as I spoke.
He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back softly. “Sounds perfect, and I’ll help in any way that I can, with the house and your brother. Plus, I want to be here when Mateo and the council decide what their play is with the Threehorn Pack. I definitely want to help serve justice to Josiah and his pack.”
My heart stuttered a little at that. If I had my way, the Threehorn pack would disappear and we’d never have to deal with them again. I hated the thought of Logan or any of my pack being anywhere near those horrible wolves.
“Hey,” Logan said, and my eyes flitted up to meet his. “It’s going to be okay.”
I nodded, but I felt so overwhelmed, my eyes filled with tears.
Logan pulled me to him and brushed his lips across mine. Needing that contact, needing to feel alive, I opened beneath him and ran my tongue along the seam of his lips, diving in when they opened in response.
He kissed me deeply, holding me close as we gave each other what we needed, then he broke away and hugged me to him.
“It will be okay,” he promised again, and I squeezed him tighter. “You’ll get Brick healthy, and we’ll get your house squared away, and then we’ll move you into the cabin, and we can get started on forever. You’ll meet the clan, assume your rightful position as my mate, and we have our claiming ceremony.”
“I’m sorry that we have to wait.”
“Don’t be. Family has to come first, I get that, and we’re already on the way to forever, babe. We have each
other, and that’s all that matters.”
“I love you, Logan,” I said into his chest.
“I love you, too. More than anything in this world. And if there’s something you need, I’m going to give it to you, I’ll promise you that.”
“Boy, do we need to have a talk, Natasha!”
I broke away from Logan to see Gilly standing in the doorway, watching us is shock.
“Max said you were in good hands with Logan, that he was keeping you safe after your abduction, but this looks like a lot more than friendly concern.”
I laughed, thinking we certainly did need to talk… There was a lot I had to catch my sister up on, all of my family actually, and they’d probably be as surprised as I’d been about the “alpha” who was my mate. But, for now, I was content in Logan’s arms, knowing I was safe and with the man I loved.
What’s Next
Haven’t read Gilly and Maximus’s story yet? Book 1, Alpha at Home, is Now Available!
Amazon
Next up, Mateo’s story. The Alpha’s Forbidden Mate is coming in December!
Also by DJ Bryce
Brothers of the Heart Series:
Alpha at Home
Right Girl, Wrong Alpha
The Alpha’s Forbidden Mate - Coming Soon
Writing with Meredith Clarke:
Her Bear for Life
Her Bear to Keep
Her Bear to Hold
Her Bear Box Set - Her Bear Forever
Writing with Terra Wolf:
Diesel
Blaze
Hunter
About the Author
Author DJ Bryce loves her men tall, dark, and Alpha. She can often be found relaxing with a cup of coffee, a handful of RedVines, and a dirty book, with her three dogs snoozing happily at her feet.