Page 50 of Shadow of Fury

“Wren, please. Stop fighting me.” His eyes pleaded desperately.

“I just want the truth. I need to know if my mate is responsible for my sister’s death. Why don’t you get that?”

“Oh God… Wren…” He swiped at her cheek, and she sniffled, realizing she was crying again. “You already know she’s dead because of me. It’s my fault she’s gone and I’ve spent the past six years hating myself for it. I told you that. I told you to go ahead and hate me for it too. I deserve it.”

“And I deserve the truth! Because there’s more to it than that and I know it. I know something happened that night and as much as I want to blame you, I don’t think you killed her. Not anymore. And maybe that’s the bond making me weak, making me falter, because I don’t want to hate you anymore. I don’t want to think the worst of you. But I need to know the truth or how else can I be with you?”

When she pulled against his grip this time he let go of her and she stumbled back from him. She wiped at her cheeks, hating that he’d seen her cry this time. Hating that he kept making her cry in the first place. When she was able to see through the new round of tears she saw the defeat written clearly on his face and her breath caught.

“Wren, I need you to hear me when I say I can’t tell you anything else about that night. I wish I could. I wish I could give you all the answers you need and deserve. I wish there was a way, but there’s not. At least not right now and I’m more sorry for that than you know. I’m sorry for all of it.”

“For lying to me or for claiming me?”

“For all of it. For Lark. For coming back here. For sparking the bond between us and for letting the mating heat take over when I knew that claiming you would only cause you more pain. I wish I’d been stronger then. I wish I was stronger now.”

“Then be stronger. Be honest with me.”

“I am. And I’m sorry it isn’t enough. Give me time. Please. I can tell you…” He coughed and winced. Wren felt a strange tightening in her chest, as if her airflow was being restricted. She put a hand to her chest and forced a deep breath. Logan’s eyes widened with what appeared to be horror. “Did you just… did you feel that?”

“Was that you?” She frowned back at him. “What was that?”

“Oh fuck. Wren. The bond… I didn’t think…” He groaned and pulled at his hair, “Dammit, everything I do hurts you. I’m sorry. Just… I have to go but I’ll figure this out. You’ll be okay. We both will. I’ll make sure of it.”

He turned to leave and she shook her head even though he couldn’t see her, “Logan! Logan wait…”

He didn’t. He opened the door and walked out on her. He walked away and the slamming door behind him felt like a nail in the coffin of their newly formed relationship.

Wren was left standing in her empty house, half-naked and still covered in the remnants of their mating. She was bloody and bruised and she felt as if she’d lost not only the fight but a future she’d only just begun to think was possible.

A wave of nausea overtook her and she rushed to the trash can and threw up. Her throat still felt tight and scratchy when she was done but it wasn’t the worst of what she felt. Not by a longshot. Because she was a mated woman now, without a mate, and she’d never felt more alone in her entire life.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Logan walked aimlessly through town, furious with himself for what he’d done. He should have stayed strong. He should have stayed away from her. He should have at least waited until he figured out how to handle his father because Wren was right, she deserved the truth.

Instead, he’d given in to the heat and his longing. He’d claimed her, marked her, and she was a part of him now. They were bonded and there was no way to undo that, not even to protect her.

How could he have been so stupid? He hadn’t given any thought to his curse affecting her but he should have. He should have known the bond would mean she felt the pain he felt whenever he tried to talk about that night. Bonding was an intense process about far more than sex and a biting mark. They were linked in every way, or they would be as soon as their wolves were allowed to complete their side of the mating.

His wolf was angry too. Pacing and clawing at his insides, wanting him to go back and let him have a chance with their mate. He could barely keep the animal contained but he wouldn’t let his baser instincts win, not again, not tonight at least.

Logan looked up at the building he was standing in front of and sighed. He hadn’t been walking with any purpose except to put space between himself and Wren but some part of him must have known he needed a safe place to go. He trudged up the stars and followed the scent he knew nearly as well as his own. He knocked on apartment 2B and waited as he listened to footsteps approaching from the other side.

Dominic opened the door and his friend’s eyes immediately widened, “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You look like hell.”

Logan snorted because that was just like Dominic not to mince words, “It’s been a long day. My mom…”

“I heard.” Dominic raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t really explain why you smell like sex though.”

Logan scrubbed a hand over his face, “I don’t really want to talk about it. Can I come in?”

“Sure. Sure.” His friend moved aside and then shut the door behind Logan. “And I’d let the sex thing go but there’s one little detail I’m going to need some clarification on first.”

“What?”