Page 41 of Shadow of Fury
He waited for his sister to say something, anything, but she was white-knuckling the steering wheel and breaking the speed limit so he figured now wasn’t the time. Clearly she was upset which made sense given the circumstances, but he’d hoped she would give him a little more information on their mother’s condition and their father’s location.
He found it odd that Vivian hadn’t said a word about the old man. She’d said she was looking for him. She’d said she came to find him when he hadn’t answered his phone. But she hadn’t said if their father was with their mom, if he was any worse now that his mate had taken a downturn, or if he even knew or cared.
When Vivian finally did speak, it wasn’t at all what he’d expected from her.
“I guess all the research I’ve been doing on breaking a mate bond is useless now.”
He blinked, “What? Why?”
“You’re really going to ask me that?” She shot him a sideways glance. “I saw you two, Logan. When I walked into that office you were both red-faced and practically glowing, not to mention the smell of sex in the air. Pretty sure there’s no breaking the bond now, big brother.”
“We didn’t…” He cleared his throat and his sister snorted. “The mate bond isn’t sealed yet.”
“You said yet.”
“Yeah.” His chest felt tight but he nodded. “I guess I did.”
“So I was right. I can stop searching for a way to break an unsealed bond.” Vivian sighed. “It would’ve been nice if you told me you weren’t interested in breaking it anymore. I spent days in the pack library reading dusty old books when I could have been getting reacquainted with our pack or spending time with Mom.”
The words inflicted the sting he knew she’d intended and he stared straight out the windshield, “I didn’t know, not for sure. Hell, I’m still not sure we can make it work. She still hates me for what I can’t tell her but the mating heat doesn't care about that.”
“Is it just the heat driving you or do you actually feel something for her?” Vivian asked quietly and Logan blew out a rough breath.
“I don’t know. I admire her for what she’s overcome, for her strength and resilience. She’s a fighter and she doesn’t back down from a challenge. She’s all fire and fury and it's sexy as hell.” He caught Vivian shooting him a glance with eyebrows near her hairline and cleared his throat. “It’s hard to know how much of that is the mating heat. Every time we’re in the same room we end up arguing and fighting and then…”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” Vivian holding up a hand and cutting him off. “Please.”
Logan groaned, Gladly. I don’t want to talk about it. You’re the one who brought it up.”
“Because I was frustrated with you! First you say we have to leave town again so you can avoid the mating bond, then you decide we’re staying but you want me to find a way to break the bond and now you’re apparently accepting the bond despite all the reasons you yourself told me made it a bad idea. I’m trying to keep up, Logan, but I wish you’d make up your damn mind about what you want.”
“I don’t know what I want.” he grumbled.
“Bullshit.” She glared at him. “You know. You’re just scared to want it because the last time you thought you knew what your life was going to be it all went to hell.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Life rarely is. You taught me that.”
Logan’s throat felt tight and he stared at his sister as she turned up the driveway to the house, her eyes back on the road but her body still tense. He couldn’t help but wonder for the millionth time if he’d made a mistake taking her away with him that night all those years ago. Maybe whisking her away from the only life she’d ever known had been unfair, maybe he’d sent her entire future veering off course and even if he’d thought he’d done it to protect her, he could acknowledge it had also been selfish. Because he hadn’t wanted to be alone.
“I’m sorry Viv.”
She shot him another glare, “Oh shut up.”
“No, really, I’m sorry.”
“Logan, I’m serious. I can’t take your apologies or excuses or hear about your sudden epiphanies on life right now. Mom is dying and I promised her I’d get you to her before that happened. Just… just let me keep my promise, okay?”
“Okay.” He nodded, hearing the break in her voice. He softened his tone, “Can you tell me what’s happening with Mom?”
Vivian blew out a rough breath, “I was in my room getting dressed when Sunny rushed in. She told me Mom was awake and when I got excited she explained that it was likely one last surge before the end. It’s a thing that happens, I guess. Patients on the verge of death sometimes have a last moment of lucidity where they seem to recover briefly before they die. I think I said something stupid, like I saw it on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, but I don’t really know. I was just so happy Mom was awake and coherent.”
“What about Dad? What did he say?”
“Nothing.”
“Impossible.”