Fighting Fate (20 page)

Hannah nodded. “Yes, sweetie. Now do you want us to take you to Logan now? I don’t think

we’ll be doing any more research tonight, and your mate is bound to feel something off in the bond if

you keep looking so dazed.”

“A baby.”

The girls took their turns hugging and kissing her, showing how happy they were with the new

arrival.

A baby.

She put her hand on her flat stomach and smiled. She was going to be a mom. Logan, a dad. Even

surrounded by war, the loss, the pain, they’d made something special.

She needed Logan.

Now.

“I need Logan.”

Hannah laughed. “Yes, honey. We know. Go to him. He’s right across the bend. Can you make it

on your own?”

Cailin nodded then stood up. “I’m good. I’m
really
good.” Scared as hell, but she’d worry about

that as soon as she told Logan.

A baby.

Goddess, a baby.

****

“Sorry we beat you up.”

Logan snorted at Jasper’s words and closed the old text. There wasn’t anything about a demon or

binding spell in there anyway. “We’re good. I beat up North when he mated Lexi, so we’re even.”

North raised a brow, his clouded eyes on Logan even if he couldn’t see. “Really? That’s how

you remember it?”

“Just telling them the truth.”

“You’re so full of it,” North barked with a laugh. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

North laughed again, and Logan let out a sigh. At least they could all laugh at the little things.

Right then, looking at book after book that told them nothing wasn’t helping.

Logan sat on the floor, surrounded by books and Jamensons. While he was connected on some

levels through his mating with Cailin, he still didn’t feel as much a part of them as he should have.

Each of them had been through years of connections and were all brothers.

All except for Josh, of course, but the man was one of Reed’s mates so he already had his place.

Josh had already had his place outside of the mating as well.

Logan, again, felt like the odd man out.

Which made him crazy because he shouldn’t have felt that way. He’d been helping protect the

Pack with Adam’s Enforcer duties and Edward before the attack and his mating of Cailin. He’d

already started cementing his role in the den before everything had gone to shit, yet he still felt out of

place.

His wolf needed something more, something to counteract the extra magic in his veins due to the

moon goddess.

Yet he had no idea what it was and how he was going to fix it.

It might just be something he’d have to get over as time moved on.

At least he had Cailin. She was worth everything.

“What’s wrong?” Maddox asked, his eyes as probing as ever. The Omega had done his best not

to push when it came to Logan, but sometimes there was only so much a man could do.

Logan understood that, but it didn’t mean he wanted to deal with it right then.

Jasper, who sat by Reed and Josh, tilted his head. “You’ve been off for a while, man. I know it

doesn’t have to do with Cailin because when you’re with her you’re the most relaxed we’ve ever

seen you.”

“It’s true,” North added. “I might not be able to see it, but my wolf and I can feel it.”

“We’ve each been through so much shit I’m pretty sure we can help,” Adam put in.

Logan wasn’t sure the man was even conscious of the fact that he rubbed his prosthetic leg while

he said it. Logan couldn’t even bear to think about the pain the other man must have been in when

Caym had ripped the limb from him. He held back a shudder. Adam was stronger than most when it

came to pain, and Logan respected him for it, but that didn’t mean he wanted to talk about his feelings.

Especially when Logan wasn’t even sure what his feelings were at the moment. He couldn’t put

it to words himself, so how was he supposed to explain it to others?

Logan blinked and looked up as Kade got up from his chair and made his way to Logan’s side.

The Alpha sat down next to him, his shoulders back but heavy, as if the weight of the world rested

upon them.

In reality, that was the case.

If the Redwoods lost, they would die, and the demon’s focus would move from their den and

onto the world at large.

Humans weren’t safe.

They never had been.

“You’re lost,” Kade announced from beside him, his voice low, deceptively casual.

Logan blinked. “Lost?” Was that what he’d been feeling? Yes, but not really. He’d found Cailin,

cementing himself to her. He shouldn’t have needed anything else.

“Lost,” Kade repeated. “You’re mated to our sister, yes. You have that bond. But what about

everything else? You aren’t just Cailin’s mate, same as she isn’t merely yours. You’re both

individuals who have purpose. Cailin’s found hers by helping Jasper.”

Jasper let out a sigh. “I don’t know what I would have done without her. Now that the Pack is

evacuated, my role is really to help those who remained behind. Meaning us.”

“You, though, you don’t have a place,” Kade said, and Logan winced.

“That’s how I used to feel,” Reed said. “I’m one of the only ones without a power in my family.”

“You’re not alone there,” North added in. “But we found what we needed to do within the Pack

to help out. It soothed us and our wolves within.”

“I don’t have the power from the moon goddess, but Edward appointed me as one of his

enforcers,” Josh said softly.

They paused for a moment, remembering the Alpha whose life had been cut short. The father that

had been ripped from them far too early.

“That brings up something I need to discuss with all of you,” Kade said at last. “Some of the men

who were my father’s enforcers won’t be working for me. They’re older than I am, watched me grow

from a pup. Even though they will bow down to my wolf to acknowledge my dominance, I can’t ask

them to bow for the man.”

Adam cursed. “You know they will, Kade. They’d put their lives on the line for you. They’ve

done so in the past.”

Kade nodded. “That’s true. But they’re in pain from losing their Alpha as well. I know in my

heart and through the bonds that not all of them want to continue. I’m okay with that. I want to bring in

new enforcers anyway. Men that are mine. Not just my father’s.”

“That makes sense, Kade,” Maddox added. “It doesn’t make you any less of an Alpha to want to

make your own circle. It’s what’s been done in the past, and frankly, what must be done now.”

“I’m with you, Kade,” Josh said, his tone not letting in any argument. “I fought for your father, I

stand by my mates’ sides, and I will fight for you.”

Kade quirked a grin. “I would expect no less from you, Josh. Plus, you didn’t watch me as a pup.

I can use that.”

Adam rubbed his jaw. “Until you and Mel have more children, or until the goddess moves our

powers around, I’m your Enforcer.”

Jasper nodded. “Yes. As the Enforcer, you protect the Pack. That won’t change. But as

enforcers, we need men to protect the Alpha.” He grinned. “Not that Kade can’t protect himself, but

you know us wolves. All claws and teeth. We need the extra.”

Kade turned to Logan and narrowed his eyes. “That brings me to you, Logan.”

Logan raised a brow. “Me?”

“Yes, you. You’re fucking strong. Loyal to those you protect. And you’re one hell of a wolf. I

could use you as an enforcer. What do you say?”

Something warmed within him, and he nodded before thinking it through. Yes. Yes,
this
was

what he’d been missing. A purpose for himself, for his wolf.

“Good,” Kade said then cut his palm with a knife he pulled from the sheath. “I vow to be your

Alpha. To protect and rule in the goddess’s grace.”

Logan cut his palm, the stinging gone in an instant under the intensity of his Alpha’s gaze. “I vow

to protect the Alpha as an enforcer. To protect under your rule in the goddess’s grace.”

They put their hands together, cut to cut, and another bond snapped into place. Not the same as a

mating bond, nor the same as Pack member to Alpha. This one was of pure loyalty, pure dedication.

He was an enforcer.

He had a place.

And it felt fucking amazing.

Logan grinned as Josh did the same with Kade, another small bond sliding into place with the

partial demon. Each of the enforcers would have to be in place soon, and Kade would have a job to

do in order to find who fit, but Logan knew it would come.

He couldn’t wait to tell Cailin.

Speaking of…

The scent of ice, temptation, and roses…and something else he couldn’t quiet put his finger on

filled his nose, and he was on his feet before he could think.

“What’s wrong, princess?” he asked as she flew into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her

and tugged her close. He could feel the others surrounding him, but he ignored them, needing Cailin

alone.

She pulled back, tears in her eyes. “I…I’m pregnant,” she blurted out.

Staggered, Logan took two steps back, Cailin still in his arms. “Pregnant?”

She smiled then. Full-out. Goddess, she’d never looked so beautiful. “We’re having a baby.”

He smiled back, his wolf howling, practically thrusting his chest out so all others could see how

manly and virile they were. Oh yes, like Logan was all alone in making this baby and the fact that this

came so soon after their mating would be the shining example of how potent his seed was.

“A baby.” He lowered his head, so he could whisper the next part in her ear—though they were

wolves and everyone could probably hear it anyway. “You are going to look so fucking gorgeous

pregnant. I cannot wait.”

Cailin laughed before crushing her mouth to his. He kissed her back. Hard. Eventually the

women came into the house, and he felt hands on his back, congratulating him, but they could keep.

Right then he had his mate in his arms, their baby in her womb. That’s all that mattered for the

moment.

He’d die to protect them. He just hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

He had something worth fighting for.

Chapter Thirteen

It was so quiet.

Too quiet.

The moon goddess hunt was upon them, and Logan hadn’t known it could be this quiet, not during

a Redwood Pack hunt. Sure, he’d had quieter when he’d been on the run with Parker and Lexi, but this

was different. Back then, until Parker could shift, Logan hunted alone, letting the moon goddess

replenish and rejoice in his wolf in all the magical ways possible so he could burn off the excess

adrenaline, and then he’d come back to their hideout. Lexi hadn’t been able to shift then, and he’d

known the hunts always hurt her.

When Parker became old enough to shift, they’d taken slower hunts, teaching the pup how to

protect himself in a world that was far too big for a little boy.

Now, though, the quiet seemed to be magnified by the lack of wolves and the lack of something

crucial and inherent to the den itself.

It couldn’t be one with so much of the Pack missing.

Only the Jamensons and the select few that had remained behind were ready for the hunt. Those

were the strongest of the strong—minus the soldiers who had gone with the evacuees to provide

protection. All wolves could fight, but not all of them could fight to the death. The submissive wolves

should never have to. Hence the reason they’d been evacuated.

Now the remaining wolves were ready for the hunt, ready for the moon goddess to shine upon

them and remind them why they were wolves. Remind them what they were fighting for in the first

place.

Everyone knew the final battle was coming. They could taste it on their tongues like a potent

drug, ready to take its final victim.

Cailin leaned into his side, and he held back a smile. He’d been doing enough of that since the

night before when she’d come into his arms, telling him about the baby. He was so freaking happy

about it.

And so freaking scared.

Not about being a parent. No, he’d helped raise Parker after all. He’d had some practice, and he

knew Cailin had with all of her nephews and nieces. It wasn’t about that at all. Sure, he had the

normal fears any soon-to-be parent would, but that wasn’t all.

They were in the middle of a war he wasn’t sure they could win. Not with the resources they had

and not when they couldn’t find the resources they so desperately needed.

And now he was going to be a father. He and Cailin were bringing an innocent baby into the mix.

It took all within him not to package her up and send her away with the other wolves who’d been

taken away.

She wouldn’t have anything to do with that though. Not that he’d asked her. No, he valued his

neck more than that. He couldn’t let her out of his sight, not right then. Not with his wolf on edge. In

fact, his wolf was so on edge he didn’t think that even this moon hunt would help.

The only way to ensure her safety was to be by her side at all times. Much to her annoyance. He

couldn’t send her away, and even if he could, he’d be forced to go with her or his wolf would never

relent.

However, for some reason, his wolf
knew
they had to be here for the final battle. It wasn’t that