***Logan’s POV***
Bryan and Hector picked me up off the floor and set me down on the couch in my office. Hector shoved a glass of bourbon in my hand and after controlling my breathing, I gulped down the drink. I gave him a smile and he gave me a quick nod back.
I looked around the room. Bryan was leaning against my desk, Hector taking up his usual post in the doorway, Denise standing next to Leandra, and Leandra was sitting on the edge of the couch next to me. It took a minute to recall what had just happened, but I looked down at the phone I had dropped. I started to have a hard to breathing again. Leandra tried to put her hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off.
“Everyone, out. Please. Except Bryan.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “And when I mean out, I mean out of the packhouse. I don’t want anyone in the packhouse for the next hour.”
“Alpha?” Hector looked confused.
“OUT. NOW.” I yelled, letting some of my Alpha authori
Before I could blink, Max was holding Morgan by the throat. Max was livid as he held Morgan, who was struggling against his grip. I was frozen in my shock, on my knees, looking at the increasingly panicked face of Auri. She was alive. But at the same time, she wasn’t my Auri. She was rail thin, looking malnourished even for a human. Bones were showing against her skin that you shouldn’t be able to see. She had a collar on, with shackles on her wrists and ankles. There was no flickering of her eyes. They were just grey, looking in the direction of the house, at the two vampires locked in a fight. Auri started to run towards the two of them and my breath caught as she yelled from the yard. “STOP!” She ran past me, grabbing Max’s arm, pulling it as she sobbed: “Stop, stop, stop…” The two men froze, looking down at her. Max released Morgan and he dropped down to the ground. He rubbed his neck as Max kneeled in front of Auri. “I’m sorry, l
‘Logan, what the fuck is going on?’ “What you see. No chase. No leads. She’s here.” I paused. “But at the same time she’s not.” ‘What do you mean by that?’ “I dunno Bryan. She’s empty. She doesn’t know her name. Doesn’t really speak. Hell, she doesn’t even smell like Auri to me. According to Morgan, a vampire turned her into a mindless slave. Tortured her and twisted her. Honestly, I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.” ‘So…now what?’ “I don’t know. I really don’t know…” I gulped down the emotions rising to the surface. ‘Well, figure it out.’ I snapped. “Don’t fuck with me, Bryan. I’m not in the mood. I called you for a level head. For my Beta, who is supposed to have my back. Not you being an sarcastic ass. I genuinely feel in over my head right now.” He quieted for a moment. ‘Sorry Alpha. Give me some time to process this.’ I sighed. “I’m at least gonna stay for a bit. See if I can help. That’s what Morg
After the incredible dinner, I convinced Max to let me help wash the dishes. I was scrubbing the plates, Max was sitting in one of the chairs at the kitchen bar and Auri was sitting on the couch across the room. True to Max’s words, it had already started to get dark as the waves crashed angrily at the rocks. “Man, Morgan missed a good dinner tonight. He is gonna be pissed.” I chuckled. “I figured you would always eat like that.” “What? Like an Italian grandma cooks for us every night? Not even. Hell, even Auri sometimes decides it’s cereal night.” I looked over at her, sitting on the couch, eyes closed and curled up in a ball. She looked like she was listening to the storm, turning her head ever so slightly “Do you guys take her out ever?” Max chuckled. “Of course we take her out. She’s not an invalid, Logan. Tomorrow we were thinking about going to the open market since it’s Saturday. This storm should pass by the morning. If you wan
I opened my eyes and looked up a ceiling I didn’t know. Sitting up, I looked around the room. It all came rushing back to me. The flight to Italy. Seeing Auri. The days events. Her singing. Goddess, her singing. I put my head in my hands. Did I dream smelling her? Hearing her speak to me? I looked out the window. It was well past noon. Showered and dressed, I made my way slowly down the stairs. Auri was sitting at the kitchen counter, swinging her legs under the tall chair while Max was chopping up something in the kitchen. Max looked up from his chopping and smiled. “Sleeping Beauty has woken up! Honestly, I didn’t think you would get up this early. The time change is terrible. Plus, you just passed out standing up.” He looked at Auri. “Little bird, why don’t get some food out for Logan too?” She nodded and got up. My heart sunk. I watched her, her usual head tilt down, small movements. Had I just dreamed it?
Once we dropped the items off in the car, we walked back into the street. Max picked up Auri, letting her sit in the crook of his arm. She seemed use to it because she didn’t even squeak. I had to lengthen my strides to keep up with Max. We made it to the edge of the street after a couple minutes. The crowd of people that seemed to have doubled since we dropped the items off. It made sense that he picked up Auri now.The view from the edge of the street with spectacular. You could see a wharf at the end with a multitude sailboats and yachts. The bright blue sea stretching out but the populated city abutted the sea with cobblestone streets. Honestly it was one of the most breathtaking landscapes I had seen in my life. Max had already gone into the building on the corner.“Logan, come on.”I nodded and followed after him. He had put Auri down and was talking with a man in Italian. They clasped hands and laughed. Auri nodded to him, doing a quick
Auri took up the seat next to me and I was surprised. Max also seemed a little surprised. She usually left a seat between everyone except Max. She started swinging her legs as she rested her head on the countertop. “I can’t believe that the bakery didn’t have sourdough bread yesterday. Frankly, it’s an insult to have to use anything else.” Max took out a loaf of bread and stared to cut it. “How’s your back?” Auri looked in my direction, confused. “Stings a little. The shower yesterday was a bitch but it’s mostly just road rash. Can’t do anything for it but let it heal.” Max looked up and I froze as Auri reached over and ran her hand over my back. It was a feather touch but I hissed as she touched a particularly sensitive spot. Her eyes looked wildly in Max’s direction, but he was too shocked. The knife in his hands frozen. She got up and went up the stairs. “She didn’t wait for permission.” I nodded, also shocked.
I looked at the man before me. “Well, Micah, since you apparently know so much about me, why not enlighten me as to why your breaking into someone else house just to speak with me.” He smiled. “A man who knows when it’s time to talk and not fight. I like it. You command an air around you, frankly, it’s interesting to see in person.” He was right, I did start to let my Alpha presence fill the room. He didn’t seem disturbed by it at all though. “I’ve come to see if you and I can make an arrangement, a deal per say.” My eyes narrowed. “Normally, I’m not one to make deals with vampires.” Micah laughed. “Oh, I know. Other than Morgan and Max you surprisingly have very little to do with the supernatural world or any politics of it. But I think this may be one you want to listen to, considering it has to do with not just you but your family as well.” I growled. “What are you saying?” “That you have more enemies than you know little Al
Honestly, I didn’t hear Max and Morgan pull in. They busted through the door, ready for a fight. I stood, my death grip on the chairs I was leaning against relaxing, third cigarette still in my mouth. Auri was still sitting on the chair. She was pretending to smoke, an unlit cigarette in her mouth. She was holding onto her iced tea that she had refilled for us. I looked at my watch. “It’s been three fucking hours.” “We were in the middle of something Logan! What the hell happened here?” Morgan was taking stock of the house, the table, and Auri. “Yeah, another dead end of the Bloodhunter coven? Almost like it was conveniently laid out to have you busy for a few hours.” I scoffed, turning away from them, I leaned back on the chairs, my eyes roaming over the paperwork in front of me. “How the hell…” I shook my head and reached out, tapping the ash into the ashtray. I realized my cigarette was almost gone and I grabbed another, lighting that one w