CHAPTER 5

Logan’s POV

It had been a long night of thrashing around on the forest floor. I had woken up after what seemed like an inconceivable amount of time but it was only just a few hours. I knew because it was early enough for Mike to bombard me with calls and texts about going out.

‘Club Equinox is popping tonight where are you the girls here are insanely hot,’ his last text read. I couldn’t be bothered with that. Not after what had happened.

Mom had also called a couple times. I remembered why I had gone to the woods in the first place; our fight.

Well, she had wanted me to settle down, she’d gotten her wish now. Ironically, my mate was a rogue, a werewolf's pack's natural enemy.

I noticed the men on the ground and remembered what had happened. She’d taken them down so expertly that I wondered how she got into the situation in the first place, how they’d managed to ambush her.

I thought about stories I’d heard about rogues. There were known to wreak havoc among packs. If she was a typical rogue then I could see how that would be. No wonder pack leaders usually hated them. So much so that if an alpha or luna crossed paths with one, their first instinct would be to kill.

I thought about what this meant for my mate, and how my mother would take it.

Would my mother try to kill my mate?

Of course, I couldn’t let anything happen to her.

‘Elise’

The mere thought of her filled me with a warmth I had never felt before. I enjoyed the feeling but I was mad at myself for that. Why did this have to happen?

‘Elise’

It occurred to me that she’d never told me her name. I just knew it just like I knew things about her I had no business knowing. But still, it was a beautiful name that fit her just right.

‘Elise’

The more I thought about her, the greater the feeling felt. It was like a connection was being formed, a bridge was being built. I wasn’t sure where it was going to lead but I felt like I had to keep on the path. Like there was something at the end of it for me to claim.

And then I felt her. I don’t know how but I could sense her, her presence like she was right next to me. I tried to reach for her.

‘Elise? Are you there?’

She was right there. So close I could almost touch her. I closed my eyes, straining for a glimpse of her in my mind.

I waited for her to say something, anything. The anticipation was killing me.

I was so focused, I didn’t hear the crunching of leaves behind me. How could I have? Nothing else mattered at that moment but Elise.

“Logan.”

I sprang to my feet and whirled around, my wolf ready to charge my assailant.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I relaxed at the recognition of the familiar face before me.

“Logan, you know it's not safe out here,” Mom said as she looked at me with concern etched in the furrow of her brows.

“I’m fine,” I replied dryly.

She looked around and noticed the men on the ground. “What happened?”

I froze. I couldn’t tell her what had happened. Then she would know of Elise and I couldn’t let that happen. I had to protect her, not that she needed any protection.

“It doesn’t matter, I’m fine. Let's just go back.’ I knew she was going to press for an explanation so I just started walking.

We walked in silence across the field and back into our territory. She was on edge the whole time, glancing around, alert to every sound from the woods. Maybe I'd been out here too long but I didn't feel the paranoia she felt.

She'd become visibly relaxed as soon as we got into our territory and I knew I would soon be receiving an onslaught of questions.

It angered me. She was the one who'd tricked me into visiting my childhood bully, she's the one who'd made me had to go out and clear my head, she was the one who set me on the path of having a mate. But as if it were a cruel joke being played on me, she would probably kill my mate if she found her.

My beautiful rogue mate. My Elise.

"Why do you keep treating me like a kid? I tell you how I want to live but you keep forcing your agenda on me, I ask for space and you can't even give me that. When will you realize that thenthings you do affects our relationship?"

So many expressions passed her face, as if she wasn't quite sure how to feel. She settled on anger and it was one unlike I had ever seen. Her face contorted into a grimace that looked like she was about to change. She slpwly walked over to me and took my face in her hands. "The reason I treat you like a child is because you act like a child. You need to grow up. Your father left things in my hands and I will not fail him. I–you have a responsibility to him, to this pack to be a competent leader and you do not do that by choosing your own path. You do not run off out of pack territory on a whim. This is not one of your little video games where you get multiple lives. I don’t know what happened back there but I'm glad you're alright but do not ever do that again." She let me go and, still looking into my eyes. "Go home and get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow, I think it's about time I start taking things more seriously with you."

I'd seen this side of her before though it had never been directed at me. If she weren't my mother, I would have been cowering in fear for my life. At this point I knew better than to argue with her so I just went home.

I needed to talk to Elise but that became more difficult with my mother breathing down my neck.

I would go back to the place we met. I just had to find a way.