Page 66 of Shadow of Fury
“Hey.” Wren tilted his chin with her finger so their eyes met. “Whatever he did, it wasn’t your fault.”
“It feels like it is, even now.”
“That’s because you’re a good man, Logan Kemp. You’re nothing like your father.”
“God I hope that’s true.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before repositioning them on the bed so he could hold her in his arms. “Because I don’t know exactly what happened next but I have a theory.”
“Tell me.” She nudged him on.
“I think he went back to the house mad as hell because she’d revealed their affair to me. They fought. Maybe he threatened to end it and she told him she was pregnant. Whatever happened, he snapped. Maybe he pushed her and she hit her head like Vivian did today. Maybe she was unconscious when she went into the water. Or maybe he held her under. I really don’t know but I’ve imagined the worst a million times or more. I can’t be sure but we both know he wasn’t above violence.”
“You have to stop blaming yourself.”
“I can’t, Wren. I can’t. Because no matter how many scenarios I’ve imagined over the years it always comes back to the fact that I didn’t protect her from him. I put her in front of him. I made her a target. And when I found out what she’d done, I left her there and gave him the chance to do what he did.”
“Logan…”
“Don’t stop hating me now, Wren. I’m not sure I could take it.”
She smiled softly and stroked his cheek, “Too late.”
“I don’t deserve you.” He nuzzled his face in her hair. “You can’t really forgive me that easily.”
“Of course I can, because all I’ve ever wanted was the truth and now I have it. I know who killed Lark and it wasn’t you. Whatever you did that night, it was Lark’s poor choices that put her in that situation and it was your father who took advantage of her and ultimately murdered her. You had nothing to do with it and I hate that I spent all this time blaming you.”
“I blamed myself.”
“That’s why you left? Because you knew the truth but he made sure you couldn’t tell anyone?”
“I had to get away from him and once I left, life was easier. I could forget about the monster who had raised me, about the woman I loved who betrayed me. I didn’t have to be the presumed guilty boyfriend of the dead girl or the heir apparent. I could be someone else entirely and just live my life. And I thought it was a good life, right up until Dominic called and said the bastard was dead, until I came home and discovered it was a lie, like everything else, until I scented you and realized Lark had never been my fated mate to begin with and everything I thought I knew was wrong.”
“I was terrible to you.”
“I deserved it. I wasn’t exactly open to the idea of us being together at first either.”
“And now?” She looked up at him through dark lashes.
“Now I can’t imagine my life without you and I really hope you feel the same way.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, looking thoughtful.
“Logan?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think we can start over?”
“No.”
She winced but he tilted her chin up.
“The past is part of us. It’s our history. But it doesn’t have to be our future. We get to decide that. Together. If that’s what you want?”
“In case you’ve forgotten, we’re mates now, Alpha. You’re not getting rid of me.”
“You’ll be my Queen then?”
“I thought I already was?”