Chapter Nine
Logan wasn’t sure there was enough coffee in the office to keep him awake and focused. He’d had to climb out of Annabelle’s bed at six o’clock in order to drive home, shower and get to work on time.
He finished his reports, sent Jamie an email updating him on everything and was now looking into the case files Ruiz had been in charge of. What he was finding did not sit well with Logan. How has this agent been allowed to run amok? Logan saved yet another half-finished call log into the secured file on his computer. Ruiz started reports then left them incomplete. Several times, Ruiz had marked the box for follow-up but there’d been no attempt by him to actually do any investigation.
There were already more than thirty problems that Logan had uncovered and he’d only gone through the last two years.
“Such bullshit,” he muttered as he transferred the folder onto a USB drive.
Logan couldn’t understand why Ruiz had joined the Coalition if he wasn’t going to even attempt to do his job. How did Ruiz even make it past the training, seeing how lazy he is?
Irritated and tired, Logan yanked free the little device that held his accusations and stood. He’d turn this over to his boss. Commander Parsons was a good agent and leader, but Logan had noticed lately he’d been overwhelmed. As turnover inside the Coalition increased, Parsons had to cover other duties for at least three divisions outside his own. It was time that Logan stepped up and let his boss know what was going on.
He wished he’d paid better attention before. But, keeping himself separate from the other agents, he’d had no idea that Ruiz had been affecting the entire office. That was going to end today.
Logan opened his office door and looked down. Parsons’ light was on and the commander was bent over, typing furiously on a laptop. It was now or never. Ruiz hadn’t been in the office yet that morning and it was a good time to take Logan’s concerns up the chain.
With a casual stride, Logan crossed the bull pen where the newer agents’ desks were. Fredrick was at a filing cabinet when Logan passed and Logan nodded to him. Fabian didn’t even look up from whatever report he was working on. Logan liked the twins and planned to offer them some help in moving up the ranks.
Even if Fabian was a little too flirty for his taste, the man was smart. He’d handled the transfer of Frank and his cronies, even completing a full write-up of the incident. He was driven and determined, earning Logan’s respect.
When Logan reached his boss’s office, he rapped sharply on the doorjamb.
“Agent Coldwell.” Parson motioned him inside.
Logan stepped across the threshold and into chaos. There were papers, files and old coffee mugs all over the office. He’d never seen the commander’s space like this. “Everything okay?” he asked.
Parsons laughed. “There’s a method to my madness. Now, what can I do for you?”
Logan slid the USB drive across the desk to Parsons.
His boss picked it up. “And what’s this?”
“When I first arrived in Brookside, I met resistance from the local sheriff. It seems he’d been making requests for several months now to our office and is being ignored. I looked into it and it seems that the same agent has received all the calls.”
Parsons sighed but nodded. “Let me guess, the agent on all the reports was Agent Ruiz.”
“Yes, sir,” Logan responded in surprise.
“I suspended him yesterday,” Parsons said. “I’m currently doing an audit of all my agents’ cases.” He motioned around the room. “And I found issues with Ruiz’s.” Parsons shook the USB that Logan had given him. “I’ll look this over in case I missed anything.”
“Oh.” Logan was at a loss for words. “Thank you, sir.”
“I should have been watching better,” Parsons said. “Ruiz was recommended by another commander, so I had assumed he was good at his job. It appears now that the commander was just trying to get rid of his problem by shuffling him over here.” Parsons grinned. “I’ll be talking to that commander soon as well.”
“Sounds like you have everything under control,” Logan stated. ‘I just wanted to bring this to your attention.”
“I know I’ve been out of the office helping at other divisions and you all have had to fend for yourselves, but there are some changes coming that I think will really help us diversify our staffing and get out and help.”
“What do you mean?” Logan asked. He didn’t do so well with change. Logan liked routine and order. He was having enough worries about the new state of his personal life to go through a major shake-up at work.
“As the shifter population in this area has decreased, we’ve seen increases in other locations,” Parsons told him.
That was bad news. The commander had to be thinking about transfers, if not closing their office down.
“I can see on your face that you know where this is going,” Parsons said.
Logan nodded. He wasn’t stupid and if a division was no longer needed there, they’d be moved to an office that was short-staffed.
“One of the reasons I’m auditing all the case files for the past several years is because I need to find agents who will work well on their own.”
If there was anything Logan was certain of, it was his work. He took great pains to make sure that every ‘i’ was dotted and every ‘t’ was crossed. Parsons wouldn’t find the same problems with his paperwork as Logan had seen with Ruiz’s. “What did you decide?”
“I’ve already spoken to several of the senior agents over the last couple of days. You’ve been working out of the office, but I intended to get a hold of you today,” Parsons said.
Even if it meant that he’d screwed up his career, Logan would not apologize for being in Brookside. He’d taken down two separate groups of individuals who would have hurt the residents there. “You’re transferring me,” Logan said. He didn’t need to ask—he knew in his gut.
Parsons nodded. “I was going to move you to the Lake Worth division. Your old academy buddy Jamie Ward said they’d be happy to have you join the feline group. It would have been a real step-up for your career. The Lake Worth division is the biggest and most notable of all Coalition agencies.”
“You said you were going to transfer me,” Logan pointed out. “You’re not anymore?” No, he silently begged. There was no way that he’d be able to continue seeing Annabelle if he moved to Arizona.
“Another option became available,” Parsons told him. “So I’m going to let you pick.”
If it was closer to Brookside, then Logan didn’t care if they sent him into the middle of nowhere. “Okay.”
“I think I know your choice, but I do want to lay out both jobs,” Parsons stated.
Logan nodded.
“If you join the feline team in Lake Worth, there will be opportunity for you to lead an entire team within your species. They’re promoting some of their team leaders and are in need of strong shifters to fill those roles. It is the best thing for your career. You’ll be kept busy and probably get national recognition.”
A week ago Logan would have done anything to get the chance of furthering his career. “My other option?”
“I spoke to the sheriff of Brookside this morning. They’ve done a great job of keeping an entire town of shifters from the Coalition, but his requests for aid, along with what you’ve been doing the past several days, have made us re-evaluate that area.”
Logan couldn’t believe it. Was the perfect job posting really just falling into his lap? “I see.”
“You’d be the senior agent in Brookside and, while I can move a couple junior agents with you, for the most part you’d be on your own. You’d still get support from the closest Coalition agency, but you’ll office within the sheriff’s department and work hand in hand with the local force.”
It was really hard for Logan to remain stoic when he wanted to jump for joy.
“I can give you a couple of days to decide, but this office will be closing within two weeks.”
“I don’t need a couple of weeks,” Logan assured his boss.
“I didn’t think you would,” Parsons said, but he appeared somewhat disappointed.
“I’ll take the position in Brookside,” Logan announced. The words felt so good coming out of his mouth. No more having to worry about the commute. He already cared about the residents of the small town. And best of all, he might have Annabelle in his bed every night.
Parsons blinked at him. “What?”
“Brookside,” Logan repeated.
“I… I didn’t expect you to choose that one,” Parsons admitted. He shuffled a few papers on his desk, which seemed unusual.
That was when he it hit Logan. “You didn’t expect it, but it’s what you wanted?” he guessed.
Parsons looked up at him. “Honestly?”
Logan nodded. He was really curious to see what his boss had to stay.
“Yes, I think that Lake Worth would be best for your career, but I don’t think it would best for you,” Parsons said.
“Okay.” Logan leaned forward, intrigued.
“You’re one of the best agents who have ever worked under me. You didn’t join the Coalition for fame. You wanted to make a difference,” Parson said. “I think you could do that better in Brookside. They really need someone who will look out for their needs. If I put another agent there, I’m not sure that they’d connect the same as you seem to have.”
“I agree,” Logan said. “I was comfortable there. Had a lot in common with the shifters I met. I don’t need to move up the chain of command. I just need to be able to do my job.”
“I haven’t been so pleasantly surprised in such a long time,” Parsons told him.
“What about Olivia?” Logan asked. His partner had been off for a while on personal leave, but he didn’t want to leave her to fend for herself.
“I spoke to her yesterday. She hadn’t been certain she would be able to come here. She really is needed at home.”
Logan had been worried about that. Olivia had kept pushing back her return date.
“There’s an office in the city where her parents live and they had one opening. She accepted the position,” Parsons informed him. “I asked her not to tell you until I’d had a chance to give you the news myself.”
“I’m glad she can stay by her family,” Logan said sincerely.
“Since you’re going to take the Brookside position, I’m happy to say that I’ll still be your commander. You’ll send me all your reports. It’ll be a little longer for help, since the closest division will be over two hours away now, but the sheriff is willing to make any changes to his department for the joint calibration.”
“It sounds good to me. You said I’d have access to junior agents?”
“Yes,” Parson confirmed. “With the number of residents concentrated in that one area, I can give you part-time help. They’d be on call, again a couple of hours from you, but they’ll also be available to work with you three to four times a week.”
“Can I make a request of who it might be?”
“Sure,” Parsons replied. “I didn’t think you were close to any of the younger agents.”
“I’m not,” he admitted. “But if Fredrick and Fabian are available, I wouldn’t mind working with them again. They’ve shown initiative and drive. The experience of working with different species would be good training.”
“Ah.” Parsons smiled. “The wonder twins. Yes, I think it would do them some good and they’ll be happy to hear it. I’ll see what I can work out.”
Pleased with the way the morning had gone, Logan relaxed. He wasn’t used to things working out in his favor. Struggling and always having to make his own way had hardened him, but Logan was getting a new chance at life. So many opportunities were coming at him. It was almost overwhelming.
“Now start packing up your office and get out of here. You look beat down,” Parsons ordered.
Laughing, he nodded. “It’s been a rough few days, but I’ve got to admit I’ve enjoyed it.”
“Good.” Parsons stood and held out his hand. “I’ll be in touch.”
He rose and shook the hand of the man he really admired. Logan was thankful that Parsons hadn’t just assumed he’d want to go to Lake Worth. By being given the choice, Logan had changed the direction he’d been headed in and couldn’t be happier. He was excited to tell Annabelle about the changes.
There was still some uncertainly about their relationship. Logan was going to have to find a place to live, because it was probably too soon to move in with Annabelle, but just being in the same town was going to alter how they approached things.
As he left Parsons’ office, he fingered his cell in his pocket. He could call her, but he’d much rather give her the news in person.
At the threshold of his office, he peered around the room. He hadn’t personalized the space. On Olivia’s side, she had pictures of her family and loved ones. He’d never had any he could put up, so Logan hadn’t decorated at all. Maybe Annabelle would help him set up his new office and he could snap a photo of them to hang.
He’d need just one small box to get his belongings home. His apartment would be a little harder to pack up, but Logan now knew a few strong shifters who he didn’t think would mind helping him out.
Logan spun on his heel to head to the supply closet to get a box and collided with Fabian.
“Hey, Logan,” Fabian said, more reserved than Logan had ever heard.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“Good.” Fabian looked past him into Logan’s office. “Do you need any help?”
“No, man,” Logan slapped his shoulder. “I don’t have hardly anything.”
“Oh.”
“Isn’t everything okay?” Logan asked the younger shifter.
“Did you really request me and Fredrick?”
Was that not what Fabian wanted? He hadn’t meant to step on anyone’s toes or mess up their assignments. “Is that a problem? I can ask Parsons to reconsider.”
“No!” Fabian practically shouted. He cleared his throat then spoke more quietly. “No, we don’t want that.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand what is happening here,” Logan admitted.
“This morning we got our new postings and we were getting separated. I know that’s always a possibility and we’ve been lucky so far, but I wasn’t prepared for it. Fredrick is more than my brother. He’s my twin, I’m connected to him in a way that I can’t explain.”
Logan nodded, not really sure what to say.
“Parsons said since you requested us, we’d be able to office at the same division when not with you. We might have to work separate cases, which is okay, but we’d still be together,” Fabian said. “They were going to send us to different states.”
“Then I’m glad I was able to change that. But I’ll work you hard and I’m a stickler for reports. If you do it wrong, I will make you redo the paperwork until I think it’s right.”
“We’re not afraid of hard work,” Fabian stated with pride. “And we studied all the senior agents’ reports when we first got here. Yours are always the best and we already use your system.”
“Good.” Logan appreciated the compliment. “Then I look forward to working more with you.”
“So when do we start?” Fabian asked.
“First thing Monday morning I want you both to be in Brookside. I’ll be set up by then and we’ll be getting caught up on the cases that the sheriff normally has to deal with. I’ll also set up a meeting for the afternoon with the Park service. We’re going to be working closely with the two departments to keep safe not only the Brookside residents, but all the tourists who go to see the forest.”
Fabian nodded before sending Logan his customary cocky grin. “Shouldn’t be a problem. I plan to still be in town for my date this weekend, anyway.”
Yeah, the kid was going to be just fine.
And so was Logan.
* * * *
Annabelle looked over her favorite branch into the yard below. From her tree, she could see the entire back part of the bar. Duffy and Calvin were doing maintenance on their bikes as Mac, Trent, Carter and Kelly sat talking and laughing around a picnic table that they’d moved out there earlier.
The barbecue grill that Trent had shown up with was smoking, sending the aroma of cooking meat into the air. Her stomach was already growling as she lounged up high.
It wasn’t often they had a lazy afternoon just for themselves, but Mac had insisted after the mess with the fox troop the night before. No one had been seriously injured, but they’d all been scared. So they were taking time together, just enjoying themselves. Annabelle had immediately shifted and headed to her spot. She’d socialize later, but right then she wanted to lie back in the sunlight that beamed down on her.
Annabelle closed her eyes and sighed. The only person missing from the day was Logan. He’d had to go back to work and Annabelle wasn’t sure when she’d see him again. Logan had promised to call after he’d kissed her goodbye, but Annabelle knew he had to be tired.
Part of the reason she’d decided to nap in her tree was because she hadn’t been able to get back to sleep after Logan had left. How often was she going to have to watch him leave for work and not know when she’d see him again? She wasn’t used to not having the people she wanted to talk to right there.
Since she didn’t have a choice, Annabelle was going to have to get past the feeling of disappointment. Logan liked his job and she wouldn’t stand in the way of that. There’d be times when she needed to help someone and wouldn’t be available to him. They’d work it out. They had to.
Keeping her eyes closed, Annabelle rolled over onto her back, lifting her legs into the air. The warmth from the day beat down on her and she meowed happily. She let the sounds of her surroundings trickle to the back of her consciousness. What a perfect afternoon.
The murmur of voices remained quiet enough that she felt connected to her family while still able to daydream. She hoped that over the weekend Logan might want to shift together. Annabelle was curious to see him as a lion and she didn’t think that her margay was going to have a problem transforming with him. Hell, she was on the verge of falling in love with him. Who would have thought that he’d have been Annabelle’s type? Logan was picky, a little on the stuffy side, with a clean-cut image. He was also powerful, dominant and bossy. The perfect combination.
“Are you really asleep up there?”
Annabelle blinked open her eyes before rolling over to look below. She wasn’t certain that she was really seeing him. She yowled at him in question.
Logan laughed, waving her down. “Yes, I’m really here,” he said. “Now come here.”
With great effort, she pulled herself from her nest and started down head-first.
“Wow!” Logan exclaimed.
Because of her flexible ankles, Annabelle was one of the few feline species that could pull off that move. It helped when hunting in the trees.
“That’s unbelievable,” Logan praised.
Halfway down the trunk, Annabelle stopped hanging on by her claws. Logan would probably catch her if she leaped at him. Even if he missed, she wouldn’t hurt herself landing on the ground.
“Really?” he said. “You want to jump on me?”
She really did.
He sighed long and loud, but the smile on his face gave away his true feelings. “Fine.”
Pushing off with her powerful back legs, Annabelle launched herself at him. Logan opened his arms and she landed easily within his embrace. She made sure to have her claws retracted so as not to injure him.
Logan immediately lifted her up and nuzzled the top of her head. She purred, loving the sweet gesture.
“I like seeing you like this,” Logan said. He began walking over to the picnic table and was greeted warmly by the others.
“We didn’t expect you so soon,” Mac commented.
“I know.” He ran his finger under her chin and Annabelle was in heaven. She wiggled around enough that she could bare her belly to him, silently asking for a good rub there. “I had something to talk to Annabelle about.”
She stiffened.
“Shh, it’s okay.” Logan did caress her belly. “Nothing bad, I promise.”
With a quick swipe of her paw, she was able to wrap it around his wrist and pull his hand to her mouth. Annabelle had learned how to communicate as a margay since she loved shifting so much.
“Ouch.” Logan pulled his thumb away after her tooth dug deep. “It’s not bad!”
Guess I’ll have to wait and see.
Mac and Trent were chuckling, but Annabelle hadn’t been trying to be cute. She was giving Logan a warning. Things were going well for them and an unexpected visit in the middle of the day didn’t bode well.
“I’m going to take her inside so she can shift where we’ll be able to talk,” Logan said.
“I don’t know,” Trent replied. “At least this way, she can’t argue back.”
Annabelle hissed at him.
“Hey.” Logan thumbed her nose and she blinked at him in surprise. There was no way he’d just done that. She wasn’t an actual housecat.
Trent was laughing so hard that he almost fell off the bench. Even if it came at her expense, she liked seeing him so happy.
“Go on,” Mac said. “We still have a good while before the food’s ready. If you don’t return we’ll put the leftovers in the kitchen.”
“Eww,” Carter bitched. “Did you really need to say that?”
“Like you didn’t know what they were going to be doing,” Trent teased.
“We don’t need to talk about it!” Carter cried.
Annabelle knew that Carter was only playing around, so she swiped out as though she was going to claw at him. Logan pulled her back against his chest, though. She didn’t mind, since that put her close to the muscles she enjoyed so much.
“Come on, hellcat,” Logan murmured to her as he carried her toward the back entrance.
She didn’t know what he needed to talk to her about, but she wasn’t going to freak. No matter what he said, there had to be a way to make things work. Logan was still nuzzling her as he meandered down the hall to her room. He opened the door and gave her a kiss on her nose before dropping her onto the bed.
“I really do need to talk to you.”
Annabelle began her transformation back to human. It was easier for her than some of the others, since she made sure to change at least once a day. The longer a shifter went without transforming, the longer it took. The change didn’t hurt. It was just a little uncomfortable.
In just a few moments, she was on her back in the middle of her bed, peering up at a grinning Logan. If he was this happy, then his news couldn’t be too terrible.
“Okay, clothes,” he said. Logan bent to pick up the sweatpants and tank she’d discarded earlier.
“What, you don’t want me naked?” she teased.
He threw the clothing at her. “Not yet.”
“Fine.” Giving him her best pout, Annabelle dressed. Once she was covered up, she glared at him. “Happy now?”
“I can’t wait to take them back off.”
She tossed her hands up in the air. “Really?”
Logan sat in the chair across from the bed.
“You’re not going to even sit next to me?”
“No way I’d be able to keep my hands off you.”
Well, that was a little better. “What happened?”
Logan leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees. “The division of my office is closing.”
“They’re moving you?” she asked. “I thought that you said it wasn’t bad news?”
“I was given two choices. The first was to go to the largest Coalition office as a feline team leader.”
“In Arizona?” She knew where he was talking about. They’d had a lot of high-profile cases. That would be really good for Logan, but it was so far away.
“The other is right here,” Logan said.
“Here? Where?”
“In Brookside.”
“We don’t have a Coalition agency in town.”
“Magnus has been having some issues lately and he spoke to my boss about getting some support here. My commander offered to allow me to office inside the sheriff’s department.”
“You’d stay here permanently?” Dare I hope? “But what about the other offer?”
“It would be great for my career,” Logan said. “I won’t lie about that, but it doesn’t have what’s most important to me.”
“And what’s that?” She was almost afraid to ask.
“You.”
“You’d give up a dream job for me?” she questioned. “That only happens in romance novels.”
“No,” he said. “I’m not giving up anything. By taking the posting here, I’ll get to work with men that I admire. I’ll have the chance to get to know everyone better. Like I told you before, I feel comfortable here and I’ve never had that anywhere else. But the biggest attraction is being in the same place as you.”
“You sound like you already made your decision.”
“I have,” Logan said. “This is where I want to be.”
Brookside was where she wanted him to be, but that wasn’t best for his career. “What if it doesn’t work out between us?” She had to state her real concern.
“I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I would hope that we’d still be friends and I could stay here. It’s a risk, I know. One that I’m not sure will work out in the end, but if I go to Arizona, I know I won’t have what might happen for me here. I want a family and yours seems to be accepting of me. You are who I want to spend my time with. I want to learn every little thing about you.”
“Wow,” she whispered, trying to hold back her emotions.
“A good wow?” he asked. “Because I need you to tell me how you feel. This is a big step for us. If you don’t want to go further in our relationship, I need to know.”
“I want you.” She moved to her knees and shuffled down to the end of the bed so she was right in front of him. “I want us.”
Logan relaxed his shoulders and he ran his hands over his face then smiled at her. “I didn’t think I was going to be so nervous. I practiced what I would say the entire drive here.”
“I can’t believe it. It’s like everything that I want is just within my reach.”
“That’s exactly how I feel. So I’m staying and you’re going to have to help me house hunt.”
Annabelle looked around her bedroom.
“I don’t think we should move in together after just one date,” he quipped.
Annabelle laughed. “Doesn’t it seem like so much longer?”
He was already nodding before she’d even finished her sentence. “I can’t seem to remember my life before I met you. I don’t ever want to go back to that again.”
“You don’t have to.” She climbed off the bed and into his lap. “Even if something happened between us, you’ll always have this weird, overly protective, crazy group of shifters that have your back.”
Logan stood. “Right now I’m more concerned about getting you on your back.”
“Oh yeah?” She ran her palm over his chest.
“Yep!” Logan tossed her in the air and she flew to the head of the bed. He quickly covered her body with his as he brought his lips against hers.
Annabelle gripped the short hair at the back of his head. She wondered briefly if he’d consider growing his hair out but all thought left her when he snaked his hand up her top.
She ripped her mouth away and rolled him until she was on top. Rocking her hips so that his cock was trapped under her, she pushed at the material over his shoulders. Logan rose briefly to help her get the shirt off him then flopped back down.
The need to taste him overwhelmed her. She ran her hands over every piece of his flesh before she tugged at his slacks. It was a race to get both of them undressed so she’d feel him buried inside her once again.
“I want you to ride me just like this.”
Annabelle reached back and grasped his erection, positioning it at the entrance of her pussy. “I want it hard,” she told him.
“You control the pace, baby,” he said. “Take what you want.”
Slowly, she lowered herself down. Logan kept his gaze on hers and she saw the affection and caring in the depths of his eyes. He looked at her like she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Leaning down to kiss him, she lifted up on her knees then slid back down. Logan gripped her hips and bucked up, driving his cock in farther. She moaned into his mouth.
She braced herself with her hands on his pecs. Annabelle threw her head back and started to ride him the way that they both wanted. Slow and sweet had been great the night before, but this time their lovemaking was full of heat and need.
Annabelle let her body naturally fall into its rhythm until Logan began to plunge up fast and hard. She was shaking, bouncing around on his cock, and it was marvelous. She glanced down at him and got to witness the pure pleasure on his features. Clamping her inner muscles down on his shaft drew a long, low groan, so she did it again and again.
Logan clenched his teeth while bracing his feet on the mattress and began to plow into her. Annabelle grasped her breasts, which were shaking with Logan’s hard thrusts, and thumbed at her nipples.
The zing went down her stomach and all the way to her clit.
She dropped down, rolled her hips and came. With a cry, she exploded into climax, drawing a series of grunts from Logan.
He rolled them until he was on top then grabbed her leg, spreading her wide to plunge deep. She was panting, trying to find something to hold on to—anything to hold on to. Logan growled then stilled as he reached orgasm.
Annabelle watched every second of his release. His cheeks were flushed and sweat beaded his brow. He blinked his open eyes and smiled.
She lifted, allowing his cock to slip out. Annabelle dropped down beside him to cuddle against his side.
“It keeps getting better and better,” he murmured.
“I agree.”
Logan ran his hand gently over her side while she gazed up at him. An idea began to form and she didn’t know if she should bring it up. Hell, why shouldn’t she?
“I know of a house you can rent,” she told him.
“You do?” he asked, propping his head up on a bended arm.
“It’s halfway between the bar and town. It would be perfect for you. A small two-bedroom, two-bath, but the back yard is gorgeous.”
“You think the owner would rent it to me?” he asked.
She turned her head and kissed right above his heart. “Yes. I think she might like you more than just a little bit.”
“You own a house?” he guessed with a laugh.
“Yep,” she confirmed. “Mac helped me buy it several years ago. I planned to move in one day, but so far I haven’t had the urge to leave this place. Duffy and Calvin keep talking about moving above the tattoo shop and Kelly is looking for an apartment. Sooner or later, I figure we won’t all live here and didn’t want to be left all alone.”
“You’ll never be alone,” he assured her.
“I know that in my heart, but sometimes I think too much about how things could change.” She sighed. “I might want my own house eventually, anyway. I really like it. Did I mention the trees in the back yard?”
“No,” Logan said. “But I get the feeling that was a major buying feature.”
“It was,” Annabelle admitted. “If I wasn’t afraid to be alone, then I’d have already moved in.”
Logan rubbed his chin over the top of her head. “Maybe you just needed someone to share it with.”
Annabelle nodded. “You could stay there and we’ll have sleepovers and fix the place up. It’s been empty a long time.”
“Then maybe someday you’ll move in with me,” he said.
“It’s a possibility. That is, if you still want to be associated with me. Once word gets out around town about us, you’ll probably get some weird looks. I’m an oddity even among felines.”
“Trust me,” Logan told her. “I’ll be very proud to let everyone know that you belong to me and me alone.”
“Maybe we could shift later?” she asked quietly. “If that would be okay?”
“Are you kidding?” Logan said with excitement. “I’ve been itching to shift for a while and I’d love you run with you. Although you have to give me a head start if you’re going to be jumping from tree to tree.”
“I’ll think about it,” Annabelle teased. “It depends on how good a boy you are.”
Logan rolled her to her back before covering her body with his. He peered down at her with heat in his eyes. “When we’re out in the woods, I’m going to mark our spot from last night. Everyone who passes by will know that I claimed you there.”
Annabelle grinned. “Claim me here first.”