by Yara Gharios
That’s when Logan understands that it must be one of the girls in the pack, because no one else is here on the beach with us. The two of us tiptoe across the hall and down the stairs to the living room. Part of me feels like a James Bond girl. I get the shock of my life when we turn the corner and find Daniel and Zoey locked in a make-out session on the couch.
“What the hell?” I yell loudly to make them spring apart, which they do.
The two of them then awkwardly stand on the other side of the couch from me and Logan. They stare at us uncertainly.
I cross my arms stiffly. “You two better have a good explanation.”
CHAPTER 21
I don’t really know what it is that shocks me when I first see my twin making out with a girl who is not only my best friend’s sister, but also as of recently, at least someone I happen to like. Danny’s a big boy, he’s allowed to date whoever he wants.
I think it has to do with the fact that I didn’t know about it. Danny and I may disagree on almost everything, but we’ve never kept secrets from each other. Everything he might have hid from our parents, and maybe even our brothers, although that was rare, he always told me about immediately. It’s always been that way for the two of us, and it just hurts that he’s hid something this important from me.
“Well?” I press when all they do is look at each other.
“You better start talking now, or I will have to do something about it,” Logan says sternly.
Brave little Zoey takes the first step. “We don’t know where to start.”
“How about from the beginning?” I suggest with some disdain. “How long has this been going on? And why didn’t you tell me, Daniel?”
“Because,” he hesitates, “I knew you’d be mad when you heard how it started, and you wouldn’t even give me the chance to explain everything.”
“Stop beating around the bush and talk. I’ll hear you out,” I promise.
He takes a deep breath and glances unsurely at Zoey. She gives him a small nod in return, like she’s giving him permission. “I accidentally told Zoey your secret at the SMP welcome party.”
As angry as I am, I try to keep my word and hear them out. The most I do as he talks is clench my teeth and fist my hands so hard that my knuckles turn white. Logan notices that and takes my hand, trying to calm me down. When we get to the part concerning Zoey, she takes over telling what happened, and I find out that she and Sadie have a human half-brother out there somewhere. No matter how pissed I am at my own brother, I can’t feel anything but compassion for Zoey. Her story is actually the final puzzle piece I need to understand her, and to start genuinely caring about her.
“Zo, you’ve got to tell your family,” I try to persuade her. “Trust me, I know how lies can break up a home, and I know you don’t want that for your family any more than I do.”
“She’s right,” Logan backs me up. “You can’t keep this from Sadie and your mother. They have a right to know. It might even be a good idea if you all get to know him together.”
Zoey looks sheepish. “Actually, I’ve already met him. Danny helped me through it. He’s a few months older than Sadie, and he goes to college. We went to see him a few weeks ago, and… I’ve been in touch with him since.”
There’s a short pause as we absorb this.
“Did you tell him who you are?” Logan wants to know.
“He knows we share a dad,” she replies, a little fearful.
That’s when, being the ones with heightened hearing, Logan, Danny and I detect a couple of people approaching and exchange glances when we recognize the voices. Perfect timing, as always.
When neither of us immediately says something, Zoey adds, “I know that I should tell my family, and I will, I promise. It’s just… I need to find the right time.”
“That might come sooner than you think, babe,” Daniel tells her seriously.
She frowns at him. “What do you mean?”
The front door opens, and in come Cade and Sadie, laughing together.
“… next time you cheat!” Cade is playfully threatening.
“Like you could ever catch me,” Sadie throws back. “You may be the fast one on foot, but when it comes to surfing, you know I’ve got the advantage.”
A second later, they both notice us standing there in the living room, but one of them doesn’t catch on to the mood.
“Aw man! I was hoping we’d get to shower first,” Sadie pouts. “Now you probably used up most of the hot water.”
I look back meaningfully at Zoey. She seems nervous, but one quick glance at Daniel reignites her determination. She takes a deep breath, lets him go and goes to her sister, who is just now realizing that we’re not sharing their playful mood.
“What’s going on, guys?” she asks with concern.
“I need to talk to you, in private,” her sister answers, giving Cade a meaningful stare.
Worried now, Sadie agrees, and the two of them walk back out to the beach. I’m guessing this is going to be one long walk.
“What’s all this about?” Cade repeats the question. It doesn’t sit well with him that he’s been separated from his mate.
“Come on, I’ll tell you,” Logan says, and the two of them go upstairs together.
After they leave, I’m not happy about being left alone with Danny, and I turn to leave. He grabs me by the wrist to stop me.
“Wait, Dylan –”
I yank my hand out of his reach and cut him off. “Don’t talk to me.”
“If you could just –”
I interrupt him again. “This whole time, I was going through hell with Mom and Dad for telling Sadie and Cade, when you just got drunk and told the first pretty girl who gave you attention! You never once spoke up, and you knew I needed you guys by my side! How could you do this to me? I thought we had each other’s backs!”
“I’m sorry! I really am, Dyl!”
I shake my head to stop him. “Just leave me alone.”
The expression on his face speaks volumes about his guilt. I know he must be feeling terrible, but I’m not ready to forgive him yet.
I walk around the kitchen and living room, incessantly drinking a can of orange soda. A couple of minutes later, I get restless and decide to join Logan and Cade. They’re probably upstairs in his room talking. Since I already know what they’re talking about, I don’t feel the need to give them privacy. The expression on Logan’s face when I walk in takes me a bit by surprise. I know he cares about Sadie and Zoey’s family, but I didn’t think he would be this upset over it. His eyes meet mine, and a flash of relief goes through them before he looks at Cade again. From their conversation, I can tell he’s just finished telling him everything.
“You should be with her right now,” he advises his beta. “She needs you.”
Still in shock, Cade simply nods and leaves without even sparing me a glance. Once he’s gone, I start to ask Logan what’s wrong, but I’m cut off when he holds me close, as if he’s protecting me. Now I’m worried. I hug him back for a moment, but after several seconds, I pull my head back and rest it against his forehead to make him look at me.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I whisper.
He sighs heavily. “I’m just worried.”
Smiling, I kiss his cheek for comfort. “Sadie’s a tough girl. She’ll be okay, just like Zoey.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.”
I frown. “Then what? Did something else happen?”
“Yeah.” He pulls back and gently holds my head in both his hands, his gaze going over every part of my face except for my eyes. “Someone in your own family betrayed your secret.”
Surprise courses through me. “What?”
“Daniel got drunk enough that he told your secret,” he repeats, sounding a little mad at my brother. “We were so worried about someone from the outside discovering you that it never occurred to anyone, not even me, that it might come from closer to home. Why would your parents even allow your brothers to d
rink?”
Slightly relieved, I give him a half smile. “My parents know the risks of drinking, Logan. I’m not allowed to do it because I have proof to being a girl, but my brothers can drink because they would just look like rambling idiots. Nobody would believe them.”
“Zoey believed Daniel,” he points out.
I falter. “That’s because she already knows about werewolves, and she’s human; she’s got more of an open mind than werewolves do.”
“Not everybody in our world is completely convinced that there are only male werewolves,” he insists. “If word got to the wrong ears, someone might come after you. Anyone could slip up.”
My safety has never been my favorite topic. I try to use joking and lean close to whisper in his ear. “You can protect me, then.”
Logan is not impressed. “I’m serious. You can’t flirt your way off this conversation.”
Shocked, my head snaps back and I stare at him. “Flirting? This is flirting?”
“Dylan,” he warns again.
Sighing, I give in. “What do you want to do? Keep me locked up in a tower with everyone who knows sworn to sobriety? How is that any different from the life my parents confined me to? Logan, for the first time in my life, I feel free. More so than I’ve ever been, at least. I’m not going back to how it was.”
Logan pulls away from me and sits on the bed, his head in his hands. He’s avoiding eye contact again, and I can tell it’s because he’s still unconvinced. There has to be more to it than what he’s said. The thing with Danny was just a reminder of whatever is really bothering him.
“There’s something else,” I state. “What?”
He gives in with a sigh. “I’ve just been giving it a lot of thought since you mentioned it yesterday,” he starts. “It occurred to me when I realized your secret, that maybe this is about you. I just didn’t start worrying about it until two days ago, when we made up and I knew how much you mean to me.”
Well… this certainly clears things up –and brings back the butterflies. I lay my hand against his cheek to reassure him. I know I was the one to suggest it yesterday, but the thing is there’s really no reason for anyone to know about me. We never left breadcrumbs for anyone to follow.
“Logan,” I say his name as softly as I can. “Nobody knows. Trust me. We were always careful.”
“But you must have slipped up at some point,” he notes. “Daniel did.”
“I did, once,” I admit. “But it was years ago, and my parents made damn sure the rumors disappeared and everyone who was involved went back to believing I was a boy.”
“Somebody could have still suspected the truth since then.”
“Then why wait so long?” I throw back. “If they heard the rumor, they know where to find me. What are they waiting for? And why are they taking other boys?”
“Maybe they only heard the rumor recently and are looking at all younger kids in lone families,” he suggests.
“Then why keep them?” I dispute yet again. “You seem pretty sure they’re boys, not girls in hiding. So what would they do with them once they figure that out? Besides, we’ve already established they were taken as punishment to their parents for helping your dad. But I’ll humor you for a second. Let’s just say it is in fact about me. Why would your father be researching me in the first place? What’s his interest in this? He already had a mate, and he couldn’t know that I would be yours.”
Logan shakes his head and looks away. “That’s the part I can’t figure out. There isn’t even a file about your family. And even if he knew there was a female werewolf out there, he wouldn’t be going through so many lengths to find her. My dad’s not that kind of leader. He would have actually preferred to leave your family in peace.”
I want to say that I think he’s just like his father: an equally fair and kind alpha. But I know he’s not going to like the distraction again. Besides, it’s not the time for it. I can save it for when he has doubts about his leadership.
“You see?”
But he still argues with me. “Regardless of that, I can’t shake the feeling that someone wants to take you from me. I can’t let them do that, but it scares me that I don’t know what to protect you from.”
Seeing that he is genuinely concerned, which is unlike the pure paranoia my parents used to feel, I understand that I have to compromise here.
“Okay,” I relent. “I’ll stay hidden until we figure this out.”
Surprise colors his expression. “Really? You will?” I nod, smiling softly. “It’s that easy?”
I can’t help laughing. “If this is easy, I don’t want to know what hard will be like,” I tease. “But we have to really look into it. That’s my one condition. I just got out of my parents’ chain, I don’t want to have another one around my neck. I can’t live in a prison my whole life.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Are you saying you see yourself being a free girl, someday?”
“Maybe not as free as normal girls are,” I relent, “but hopefully more than I am now. Definitely more than before.”
“If I could offer you that life right now, you know I would in a heartbeat, don’t you?”
I smile. “I know. It’s one of the reasons why I love you.”
The words flow with much more ease than any of the few times I’ve said them before. I’m glad I’ve finally said I love him without being coaxed into it or feeling awkward about it. After seeing how much he cares instead of simply hearing him say it, I’ve come to terms with my own feelings. Of course I love him. Why shouldn’t I tell him when I feel like it?
His answering smile is brilliant, and it shows just how happy those three little words make him. I resolve to tell him at least three times a day from now on: once in the morning, once before saying goodnight, and once in between. He wraps his hands around my wrists and pulls me to him for a quick kiss.
I smoothly sit on his lap. “But I do need to know something first.”
The way his face suddenly flips into a serious expression is almost comical. “Know what?”
I narrow my eyes. “Where are you going to hide me and what do you plan to do with me?”
He sniggers, his amusement and playfulness returning. “Hmm, well, I may just have to lock you up in a tower after all. But don’t worry, I’ll come by on a white horse once a week to entertain you.”
I play along. “Careful. I might get the idea that what you promised me on my birthday will happen sooner rather than later.”
Unfortunately, I’ve pushed too far, and he drops the pretense. “I promised you that we will talk. Nothing more.”
Does he have to be so noble? It’s a little annoying that he’s killed my buzz so easily while I’m still feeling butterflies in my stomach.
“You don’t play fair,” I pout. “For once, can’t you humor me?”
“Maybe after your birthday,” he stubbornly replies.
“Fine,” I groan. “But I really do need to know where and how I’ll be spending my days.”
“Alright,” he agrees. “I still have my alpha duties to fulfill, and I’m sure you don’t want to see me 24/7 anyway, right?”
“You do get kind of boring after just one hour,” I go along.
He acknowledges my joke with a chuckle. “If that’s what you really think, then an hour is all you’ll get from me every day,” he threatens.
I sigh dramatically. “Fine, I guess I can take more.”
This time, he really laughs. It’s as nice to hear from someone like him, who rarely ever laughs. As it is great to know that I’m the reason behind it. Then, he takes my hand and leans over to kiss me again.
“I want to be with you all the time, too,” he reveals, “but what I meant is that you have your family and your friends that I’m sure you still like to hang out with as well, just like I do.”
Smiling, I shrug. “We can alternate between them and each other, when you’re not busy.”
“In that case, I guess you’ll be okay staying at the comp
ound,” he continues, “in the same room you’ve been staying in this whole time.”
“Great, then it’s settled,” I close the subject, eager to move on to something else. “Now, if I remember correctly, you said I could sleep next to you.”
Logan looks out the window then at his clock in surprise. “It’s not even dark yet.”
I shrug again. “So? You don’t have any alpha duties to fulfill here. We can stay up and just talk until one of us is too tired to go on.”
He beams and kisses me again, leaning down on the bed and bringing me with him. “Okay.”
We talk so much that I’m not even sure when exactly we fall asleep. The next morning, I can barely even remember what we said. I have glimpses of conversations in my head, but what I remember the most is how physically close we were, and how, after the sixth, I lost count of the number of times one of us kissed the other. If this is what it’s like for us at the beginning of our relationship, I can’t wait to see what time will bring. It can only get better from here.
***
I’m brought back to the present again when I start packing and return to reality, where there are other issues going on. The first thing I do when we get home from the beach trip is rat Danny out. He doesn’t even try to stop me, because he knows it was long overdue. Mom and Dad are furious. Now he’s not allowed to be alone with Zoey until they –and I– think he’d learned his lesson. It’s hard not to cave in and forgive him, because I can see how much he’s changed because of Zoey. She may be the youngest of the couple, but she’s had a very positive influence on him. I’m not ready to forgive him yet, though, so I decide to give him the cold shoulder for a while, at least until our birthday.
Fortunately, that’s not so bad for me, since I have a lot to distract me. Although being with Logan is what I really want to invest my time in at the moment, something else takes precedence. I need to be there for Sadie.
The news that she has a brother is a hard blow. Although I wish I didn’t, I got to see Sadie in her not-cheerful state for the first time. She doesn’t leave the pack house for two days, which for her is like an eternity. She’s usually a very outdoorsy person. At first, we give her some space, but Cade and I finally have to intervene when we find her watching The Game Plan on repeat, screaming at Dwayne Johnson’s character that he’s a bad father and that he should have brought that secret child of his out of hiding sooner.