Logan woke up the next morning feeling like he had been run over by a tractor. His whole body ached, and his head was banging like a tribal drum. His eyes were prickly with unshed tears and his throat was extremely dry. He groaned and rolled to the other side of the bed. He flung his arm out, searching for any warmth from Aella but he felt none. He frowned and opened his eyes which had been gummed shut by sleep, and sat up. The arm which he had flung to the side was stiff and full of pins and needles. He groaned and flexed the arm a little bit, trying to resume blood flow to it. "Fuck it." He muttered under his breath and tried to move out of bed but was attacked by a sharp pain to his head. His vision swimmed as vertigo came over him and he closed his eyes for some seconds, trying to regain his bearing. He felt like a narcotic patient going through withdrawal symptoms. Perhaps, I am going through withdrawal symptoms, he thought. One of the few things he really cared about was the da

Logan was sitting in his study with Casper. He sighed and took his head in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut. The activities of the recent days were beginning to take a toll on him.After he had gone to Aella and she had comforted him, Louve had come to wake him up and tell him that the warriors from her father's pack was around. Logan was surprised: he hadn't asked for the warriors to come up north already. But Louve had told him that it had all been her doing. She had noticed the state of unrest in the pack and what Elias was trying to do by turning the people against Logan, and so she had called her father to send his troops, just in case. The warriors had been given strict instructions to protect Logan and his mate no matter what.Logan had gone down to see them and had been amazed at their sheer number. His uncle had sent way more than the 700 he had originally requested for, 900 to be precise. He had wondered aloud to Louve how they would house and feed the 900 men, and Louve h

Aella nodded as Logan made that statement. They both stared at each other with grim determination etched on their faces. They were trying to show more bravery than they felt, because deep down, fear was taking over.They separated from each other and Aella walked to the closet. She opened it and went inside, picking a few clothes and other things she thought she might need. She picked two of her dresses, a few toiletries and underwear, and one of Logan's shirts as a sort of reminder. Before stuffing it in the duffel bag, she put the shirt to her nose and sniffed appreciatively, closing her eyes in rapture. She would miss his cedarwood scent and what it did to her senses.She opened her eyes and looked at the shirt. It was the black button shirt that she had worn on that memorable afternoon when she had turned Logan's room upside down to annoy him. She remembered how he had stared at her bare legs, how his eyes had burned into her, stripping her naked with its intensity, and shuddered.

Fear had turned the inside of Logan's mouth into ash. His knees felt like jelly and his stomach had turned to lead. "Aella, Aella!" He called over and over again, walking around the surrounding of the cabin several times.If she were here, she would have answered you by now, his wolf spoke up. He let out a yell of anger and frustration and kicked a nearby tree so hard that its bark cracked."Fuck!" He yelled, his voice echoing through the nearby trees. He ran through the woods, trying to sniff out her scent, but she seemed to have disappeared into thin air. No scent, no footsteps, no trace, nothing. He moved back to the cabin and went inside, collapsing into the chair.Several conflicted thoughts ran through his head at the same time. Was she kidnapped? Was she fine? Did she seize the opportunity to run away from him?He shook his head at that last thought. Aella would not run away from him, no. Their bond was too strong now. She could not do it even if she wanted to. He started to fe

Louve and Casper joined Logan in the library within a few minutes. They burst through the door, their faces twin masks of worry."Logan, what happened? What's wrong?" Louve asked, frowning with concern at her cousin. She took a seat in front of him and Casper followed suit."Everything is fine." He said, but his face gave him away. Louve looked at her own mate, then back at him."I know that face, Logan. You're not fine." She said, a tone of warning in her voice. "You had better start talking this instant."Logan put his elbows on the desktop and placed his head in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut. He didn't even know where to start. All the different emotions he had felt today alone: the happiness from being with Aella in the morning, the fear and anxiety after she had disappeared, and the rage and hatred, he had felt towards Elias mere minutes ago, were overwhelming.He raised his head as Louve and Casper watched and waited for him patiently. His eyes were red-rimmed with tears an