Chapter 31
Logan
When the warlock cockily winked in Logan’s direction, Logan lunged. Jude wrapped his arms around his mate from behind and managed to manhandle Logan back onto the sofa. Logan didn’t need his wolf to crave the warlock’s blood right now.
“How dare you! You practically forced him on me as if I didn’t have any say in the matter! If it weren’t for you, I could still be living a normal life,” Logan screamed at the warlock. Deafening silence echoed through the room as Logan’s own words sunk into his brain. Logan shot a terrified look at his mate. Jude’s jaw was clenched and he was staring at the floor, refusing to even look in Logan’s direction.
“Jude, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” Logan began to explain. Before he could say any more, Jude was out the door. Logan clenched his hands together in his lap and ran through what he could do to take back those hurtful words.
“Logan, look at me,” Alpha Leikos ordered. Logan hesitated but finally forced his gaze up to meet his alphas cold blue eyes. The expression on his alpha’s face froze the blood in Logan’s veins.
“You’re a fucking fool, Logan Sterling. I’ve never been so disappointed in one of my pack’s behavior than I have been just now.” Logan’s head dropped in agreement and his vision swam with unshed tears.
“Yes, you were played. But honestly, son, I don’t think you ever would have let anyone else inside that fucking mile-thick wall you’ve built around yourself. You have until the moon is high to find your mate and bring him back willingly. Otherwise, don’t come back at all.” The alpha’s final words rested in Logan’s heart like a stone. He nodded, silently voicing his understanding of the consequences if he failed. Logan glanced at his brother’s terrified face for only a second before following his mate out the door.
“Alpha, please. Logan didn’t mean…” Logan overheard his brother’s words as he tried to argue on his behalf. Alpha Leikos' answering growl stopped Ben’s pleading mid-sentence. While Logan appreciated his brother’s attempt, he agreed with the alpha. This was Logan’s mess and his alone to clean up. Logan sniffed the air as he shucked his clothes, easily picking up his mate’s distressed scent. He steeled himself for the crow he was about to eat, but the thought vanished as he shifted, nose to the ground following Jude’s trail.
Logan’s wolf finally found its mate on the beach of Silver Moon Lake, sitting hunched over, both arms wrapped around his knees. As he watched, the sun sank below the horizon and Logan knew his future with his pack was in peril. He kept his distance, though, contemplating how to bridge the gap he’d wedged between them in such a short amount of time.
Logan watched his mate toss rocks into the water dejectedly, not even attempting to make them skip. When Jude ran a hand under both eyes, Logan knew it didn’t matter if he ran out of time or not. His standing with his pack was no longer important. The only person that Logan needed stood there in front of him, crying because of Logan’s selfish words.
Logan’s wolf shuffled forward, tail between its legs as it inched toward its mate. When his wolf pressed its forehead in between Jude’s shoulder blades and whined, Jude’s tears only intensified into sobs. Before he even realized his wolf had given up control, Logan found himself wrapped around his mate’s back, weeping along with him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Logan kept repeating over and over. Jude never uttered a response, but his body finally stopped shaking. Logan refused to let his mate go, his arms wrapped tight around Jude’s chest. Jude inhaled and cleared his throat. His voice sounded odd through the residual stuffiness of his nose, but Logan heard the power in his mate’s next words. This would be Jude’s final offer.
“This is the last time I’m going to go through this, Logan. I’m done fighting you. If you push me away again, I’ll go. No matter how much I know it will hurt to leave, I’d rather that quick pain than to have you repeatedly torture me this way,” Jude said emotionlessly. “I thought I was strong enough, but I’m not. I can’t go through this again.”
“I’m so, so sorry, Jude. I didn’t mean what I said. I don’t even know where those words came from,” Logan explained. Jude huffed a sardonic laugh.
‘Yes you do, Logan. That’s honestly how you feel or you wouldn’t have said it. You think you were tricked into mating with me. And you know what? You were. But not by me. Not even by Kai...I mean Ryusuke or whatever the fuck his real name is. You were trick by fate. And so was I,” Jude said. He paused when his voice cracked, taking several deep breaths until he could continue again.
“Do you honestly think I would have chosen to pursue my true mate like this, Logan? Especially if that person refused me as much as you have? No, my love. This is not the way I would have planned a courtship. Fate did a number on both of us, Logan, but we don’t have to drink the Kool-Aid. Before we get any deeper involved, let's just end it. Okay? I think it would be easier on both of us if we just walk away now.”
“Ow! What the fuck was that for?!” Jude yelled, holding one hand over the ear Logan had just thumped hard.
“That was for lying to me,” Logan boomed. Jude turned and pushed his mate to the ground. Straddling Logan’s naked hips, Jude pinned his mate and roared.
“I didn’t fucking lie to you, asshole. You’re the one who wants this to be over. I’m just letting you have your way, as usual!”
“Then stop letting me have my way! Fucking stand up for yourself and put me in my place! How do you expect me to know you really love me if you won’t fight me back? You keep offering to leave but you never tell me you’re going to stay!” Logan argued.
Chapter 32
Jude
Jude froze and digested Logan’s nearly crazed expression. Logan’s breath panted out in gasps and Jude could feel his mate’s heart racing away as if panicked. He looked more than a little terrified and Jude finally understood.
His lips crashed down over Logan’s and his mate’s tongue battled with his own. Teeth gnashed and hands groped for control. Logan’s hands partially shifted and claws pierced Jude’s skin while shredding the clothes from his body. Whether on accident or on purpose, Jude didn’t care. He knew he’d heal anyway. Even if his mate wanted to mark him permanently, he’d wear the scars proudly.
Once he was mostly naked, Jude grabbed Logan’s hips and forced his mate onto his stomach. Logan thrashed and fought, but Jude held him in place, refusing to give up this time. Jude covered his mate’s warm back with his chest and ground his hard cock in the cleft of Logan’s ass. Logan cried out and Jude wondered briefly if it was in anticipation or fear, but pushed the thought aside as irrelevant. Logan needed his mate to claim him, whether his conscious mind accepted it or not. In every word, in every action, Logan was begging for Jude to prove himself. To prove that he would always be there, whether Logan pushed him away or not.
Jude clamped his teeth along the cords of Logan’s neck and ground down harder. Logan’s thrashing only intensified. With each pass Jude’s cock made over Logan’s entrance, Jude could feel his mate’s body opening to him. Keeping his teeth locked on Logan’s neck, Jude reached down and fingered the still too-tight opening. He gathered his own weeping slick and pushed it inside his mate, causing Logan to groan. When he finally worked his way up to three fingers, Jude couldn’t wait any longer. Taking himself in hand, he forced the head of his cock inside his mate’s body. Logan’s thrashing finally stopped, but his head flew back and he howled as if in pain. Jude cursed himself for his impatience and began to pull out. He hadn’t meant to hurt his mate, no matter how much they both needed this. Before he could move an inch, though, Logan raised his hips and slammed himself backwards seating his mate to the hilt. A shattered cry broke free from Logan’s chest but Jude’s mate kept moving.
Jude leaned down, blanketing his mate’s back with his chest. He reached underneath and stroked Logan’s length until he was fully hard again. Logan’s groans of pleasure were broken with occasional hisses of pain, but Jude was filled with pride as his mate kept rocking back and forth, dragging them both towards the edge. Logan turned his head and met Jude’s mismatched eyes directly, his pupils blown and looking utterly destroyed. Jude could wait no longer. He leaned forward and placed his mouth near his lover’s ear and whispered.
“Come for me, Mate.” Logan screamed as his hot seed spilled onto Jude’s hand. His ass tightened around Jude’s length perfectly. Jude buried himself to the fullest and followed his mate over the cliff. Jude’s tiger rushed forth, burying its fangs deep into Logan’s shoulder. As his mate’s warm blood burned down Jude’s throat and into his heart, Jude knew they were finally in this together.