The silence in the room was so complete that a dropped pin would have clattered across the floor like a herd of tap-dancing elephants. Logan’s breath rasped in and out of his chest as he looked around, then up, his gaze colliding with that of James Hunter. With a smile, Logan spread his arms and took a mocking bow.

James had done his worst, put him in the ring with a killer, and Logan had defeated him. He was, still, the King of the Ring.

The movement broke the dam and James shook his head, a stunned look on his face.

“No, no. This can’t be possible. Korran, get up. Dragon, you get your lazy ass up and finish the job I paid you for!” His voice rose to a scream and he leapt to his feet, looking at the dead dragon as though he expected him to rise again and attack Logan. When Korran didn’t move, James transferred his attention to Logan. His eyes were wild, his expression dangerous.

“Fucking fighters. If you want a job done right, you just have to do it yourself.”

The crowd gasped and scattered as James clambered out of the VIP box, falling over seats as he raced toward the ring. Logan folded his arms, waiting. If James was stupid enough to get into the cage with him, then soon-to-be father-in-law or not, he would tear the guy a new one.

Hunter reached into his jacket, yanking a gun free to aim at Logan with shaking hands. “Ha! Bet you never saw that one coming, did you, you dumb fuck?” He laughed at Logan’s surprised expression as he walked down the last few steps to the ringside.

The audience drew in a horrified breath. Shifters never used guns. It just wasn’t done, so for James to resort to carrying one showed just how desperate he was. Logan didn’t take his eyes off the guy. The cage was still down so he had nowhere to go, no cover to hide behind. He was even too far away to use the dragon’s body as a shield. As soon as he started to move, James would shoot, and even Logan couldn’t outrun a bullet.

This was it. The end.

Sorrow in his heart, he turned his head and met Zara’s terrified gaze. “I’m sorry, kitten. I love you and the baby. Remember that, okay? Now look away.”

The words stopped James in his tracks and his expression changed, suddenly clearing. “That’s it, isn’t it?” he gasped. “You took everything from me, and that’s how I take it from you. I’ll make you watch her die before I kill you. You can watch the life fade from your bitch’s eyes, knowing that your filthy brat dies with her.”

“NO!” Logan moved like lightning. Desperate to keep Hunter’s attention on himself, he slammed his hands against the sides of the cage. The thing rattled dully, dividing James’ attention as though he really was worried about Logan breaking through the steel and mesh with brute force.

“She’s your daughter, James. Don’t do this. Kill me instead! Come on, you know you want to.”

As Logan pleaded and shouted at her father, Zara found herself looking down the barrel of a gun. She froze in place, knowing there was no place left to go. Straightening her back, she looked her father in the eye. Whatever else she was, born shifter or not, she refused to die cowering and crying. She would meet her fate with the dignity and courage of the cat she now possessed. Because, right there and then, she realized it didn’t matter. She’d been so worried that she wasn’t good enough for Logan, that he’d prefer a “proper” shifter female, that she’d forgotten the most important thing of all.

Love conquered all.

With a sniff, she looked away from her father, dismissing him with contempt, and looked at Logan. If this was it, she wanted the last thing she saw to be his face. Her hands crept down, covering her stomach, and she whispered to both of them, “I’m sorry, baby.”

Time caught and slowed, stretching out the moments as she waited for the bullets from her father’s gun to slam into her. Tearing through skin, flesh and bone to end her life. Waited for the pain and then, blessed darkness as she and her child went on to where ever they were going next.

But it didn’t happen. Movement caught her eye and she froze. But it wasn’t James pulling the trigger as she’d thought. Instead, a strong arm wrapped around his throat, a taller form rising up behind him. Her eyes widened in recognition.

Kylan. Her brother.

“Sorry, Dad, not happening.” Ky’s voice was as merciless as the look on his face as he tightened his hold. James choked, dropping the gun as his air was cut off, but Ky didn’t let go. James went purple, scrabbling at his son’s arms, but it made no difference. With a curl of his lip, Ky twisted. A loud crack echoed through the air and Zara turned away with a cry as the lifeless form of their father dropped to the floor.

“Oh, Ky…” she murmured, tears in her eyes as her brother opened the cage. Wrapping him in her arms, she held on for dear life.

“Had to be done. He was crazy. He’d never have left us alone.” Ky’s voice was hard, but his eyes begged for forgiveness as he looked down at her. She nodded, swiping at her tears with the back of her hand.

“I know, but it’s over now. He can’t hurt us anymore.”

The cage rattled behind her as she let him go. No matter what their father had done, her heart would ache for any child forced to kill their own parent, no matter the reason. Before she could say anything else though, a hand on her shoulder whirled her around and she found herself wrapped up in Logan’s embrace.

“God, Kitten, I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered raggedly, holding her so close she could barely draw a breath. She didn’t care. She wrapped her arms around his neck just as tightly. “I’m so sorry, for everything. For being an ass and making decisions without you. For not talking to you…”

He pulled back and she could see the torment on his face, in his eyes. “For letting you walk out and not going after you. If only I had…”

“Shhh.” Her throat tight with tears, she put her fingers over his lips to stop him talking.

“It doesn’t matter now. None of it matters. Just hold me?” she begged, closing her eyes as he pulled her close again. Leaning into him with a shuddering sigh, she trusted his strength.

“I love you so much and I was so s…s…scared that I would lose you. That… that… the dragon would—” She couldn’t get any further, her throat closing over and the tears flowing. How pathetic was she? Everything was done, over, yet she couldn’t stop shaking and crying.

Easing some distance between them, he looked down into her eyes and smiled. “This life or the next, kitten, it doesn’t matter… I’ll always find you. Always look after you. Always love you.”

Bending his head, he brushed a kiss over her lips. A promise and a claim all rolled into one.

“Don’t you remember what I told you? You’re mine, kitten, and you always will be.”

* * *

The Scarlet Moon - Four months later

The days seemed to be getting longer, or she was getting more tired.

Zara waved at her brother where he stood at the bar, talking on his cell, and headed through to the office at the back. She rubbed her back as she walked, her rounded belly leading the way. Gone were the fitted shift dresses in favor of floaty numbers that kept her and the bump cool. And heels? They were a thing of the past. There was no way she could keep her balance in the damn things now. Not until Logan Junior was born.

Reaching the office, she opened the door and paused to smile. No matter how many times she came in here, or how long she and Logan had been together, she would always remember the first time they met. Perhaps she could have that desk moved to her study in their apartment…

With a sigh of relief, she sat down and spread her files out over the desk. She wasn’t really supposed to be here, not so close to her due date, but she wanted to double check some of the figures, particularly after Ky had gone mad buying up some fighters from other clubs. She grimaced to herself. Sometimes he had to be reminded of things like cash flow, but when she did, he just grinned and told her he’d sort it. Which usually meant she said no and then he went and hit Logan up for the cash.

Yeah… there we go. She shook her head as she spotted a transfer from Logan’s account directly into the club’s. He’d done it again.

“Just wait until I get home,” she breathed, circling the offending transaction in red pen.

“Really? Is my luck in them?” The deep voice made her jump and then grin as she looked up to find her mate lounging against the doorframe with indolent grace. He swept a glance over her, the sudden heat in his eyes making her entire body tingle. “It might have to wait, though, because I was hoping to catch the manager of this place.”

“Oh?” She lifted an eyebrow at the playful look in his eyes. It was a look that promised many things, chief amongst them a very hot night. She swiveled her chair around and leaned back, pen between her fingers as she studied him. “I might know where she is. It depends…”

He watched her every move with the stillness of a born predator. “Depends on what?”

She leaned forward to put the pen down on the desk, knowing the movement allowed him to see down the V-neck of her dress. Predictably, his gaze zeroed in on her cleavage. “On what you want with her…”

He grinned and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

“Well, there is a little matter of a debt she owes me…”