Chapter 10

Logan

I watched Liv walk away down the hallway with Lily laughing beside her, and every muscle in my body tightened painfully.

“I don’t know how much longer I can stop myself from claiming her,” I growled.

Across from me, Ethan had his eyes closed tightly.

I could practically feel Brutus clawing inside him.

“I need to run,” Ethan muttered roughly. “Brutus is losing his damn mind over her.”

“Maximus isn’t doing much better,” I admitted. “Go. I’ll catch up in a minute.”

Ethan nodded once before disappearing down the hallway.

I dragged a hand through my hair with a curse.

This was bad.

Worse than bad.

The mate bond wasn’t just forming anymore—it was digging its claws into us.

And Olivia had absolutely no idea.

I knew we needed to talk to Dad soon. Before things spiraled even farther out of control.

But first…

I needed to see her again.

Maximus was restless, practically pacing inside my head whining for our mate.

So I headed downstairs toward the kitchen under the excuse of getting water.

The second I reached the doorway, I heard Lily say excitedly,

“Can you do the chocolate milk trick again?”

I stopped instantly.

“The what trick?”

Both girls turned toward me.

Liv whipped around so fast she nearly dropped the knife she was holding.

Cute.

Way too damn cute.

“Shhh!” Lily whisper-yelled dramatically. “It’s a secret, Logan! You can’t tell anybody!”

Liv immediately looked toward Lily.

“It’s okay,” she said carefully. “I’m sure Logan won’t say anything.”

Then those green eyes landed on me.

“Right?”

I almost smiled.

She was trying to look stern.

Meanwhile every instinct inside me screamed to drag her against the nearest wall and scent-mark every inch of her.

Cute little human.

If only she understood what she was doing to us.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” I said casually as I walked farther into the kitchen. “So technically I can’t tell anyone.”

I sat beside Lily and immediately stole one of her apple slices.

“Hey!” Lily gasped. “That was mine!”

I took a bite before placing the half-eaten piece back onto her plate.

“You want it back?”

“Ewwww, no!” Lily shrieked, giggling.

Laughing, I popped the rest into my mouth.

“You’re basically a giant child,” Liv muttered, shaking her head.

“He’s not a bully,” Lily corrected proudly. “He’s an enforcer.”

Ah shit.

I looked down slowly at my little sister.

This was exactly why she wasn’t supposed to overhear pack conversations.

Liv blinked.

“Enforcer?” she repeated. “Like… a police officer?”

Honestly?

Close enough.

“Something like that,” I said smoothly. “I help enforce laws.”

Then I leaned back casually.

“So,” I continued, “this chocolate milk trick. Is it something my sister should be seeing? It doesn’t break any laws, does it?”

Liv rolled her eyes.

“No. It’s just something silly I can do.”

She tried sounding casual.

Too casual.

Interesting.

Then she changed the subject quickly.

“Speaking of rules… if Lily can’t play outside, could I at least take her swimming sometime? I know you guys have a pool and gym here.”

I frowned.

“How do you know about the pool?”

“You guys threw a huge party there a couple years ago,” she answered. “Everybody at school talked about it.”

My eyes narrowed immediately.

A couple years ago?

Oh hell.

Mason and Ryder.

Those dumbasses had thrown that disaster party while the rest of us were away.

“When exactly was this party?” I asked carefully.

“Two years ago maybe?” Liv said thoughtfully. “I was a senior then.”

Shit.

That had been right around the age Ethan and I should’ve first scented our mate.

“Were you there?” I asked immediately.

Liv’s expression dimmed instantly.

“No.” Her voice softened. “Things were… bad around then. I wasn’t really in a partying mood.”

Something painful flickered across her face.

Grief.

Maximus immediately pushed forward wanting to comfort her.

Mine hurts.

I shoved him back brutally.

Not now.

“The pool thing?” I said roughly, forcing myself back on topic. “You’d have to ask Mom, but she’ll probably say no. My parents are extremely protective over Lily.”

“Because of the rogues?” Liv asked innocently. “The pirates she mentioned?”

I stared at her.

“…Pirates?”

Beside me, Lily nodded enthusiastically.

“Can we play pirates? Please? Logan pleeease?”

Liv looked confused.

“Well what else would rogues be besides pirates?”

Oh, this was becoming a problem.

Lily was accidentally exposing pack terminology, and Olivia was interpreting it through human logic.

Which honestly would’ve been funny if the situation wasn’t turning dangerous.

I needed Ethan.

Now.

“I gotta go,” I muttered suddenly, standing.

As I walked toward the doorway, I glanced back one last time.

And froze.

Liv stood beside Lily’s chair holding an empty glass.

Then casually, with the tip of her finger…

Chocolate milk swirled into existence inside the cup.

My entire body went still.

Humans couldn’t do that.

Maximus surged forward instantly.

Mate.

Not human.

Interesting.

Liv handed Lily the glass completely unaware I’d seen anything.

I walked out before either of them noticed my expression.

The second I got outside, I stripped and shifted.

Bones cracked violently as Maximus burst free.

We tore through the woods at full speed.

I picked up Ethan’s scent quickly and followed it deeper into the trees.

Ahead, a massive black wolf burst through the brush.

Brutus.

I mindlinked immediately.

We need to talk. Now.

Brutus skidded to a stop.

Maximus reached him seconds later.

Both Ethan and I shifted back fast.

“Lily okay?” Ethan asked immediately.

“She’s fine,” I answered. “Actually… she already loves Liv.”

Ethan relaxed slightly.

Then frowned.

“What happened?”

I exhaled sharply.

“Lily told her I’m the enforcer and mentioned rogues.”

Ethan paled.

“Fuck.”

“Relax,” I said quickly. “Liv thinks rogues are pirates and I’m basically a cop.”

Ethan stared at me.

“…Pirates?”

“Yeah.”

He actually barked out a laugh before pacing again.

Then I dropped the real bomb.

“Our mate’s hiding something.”

Ethan stopped cold.

“What?”

“I don’t think she’s fully human.”

Immediately his expression darkened.

“She smells human.”

“Mostly,” I corrected quietly.

That single word changed everything.

Ethan went completely still.

“What happened?”

“I watched her fill a glass with chocolate milk using her finger.”

Silence.

Then—

“Humans can’t do that,” Ethan said carefully.

“Nope.”

Brutus stirred beneath Ethan’s surface instantly.

“Witch?” he muttered.

I shook my head slowly.

“I don’t think so.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

“Fae.”

There it was.

The word settled heavily between us.

Rare.

Dangerous.

Powerful.

And if Olivia truly had fae blood?

Then the bond between us would become far more intense than either of us were prepared for.

“We need to tell Dad,” Ethan muttered.

“We don’t really have a choice anymore.”

Ethan cursed under his breath.

“What the hell was Mom thinking bringing a human into the estate?”

I snorted.

“I think the bigger problem is that she brought our mate into the estate.”

Ethan grimaced.

“Yeah. Let’s not think about that part right now.”

We shifted again and sprinted back toward the house.

By the time we dressed and headed toward the office wing, tension rolled off Ethan in waves.

The second we reached Dad’s office, we heard shouting inside.

“What do you mean the nanny is human?” Alpha Nathan roared.

A crash sounded.

“Victoria, have you completely lost your mind?”