Chapter 29 The storm
“That was bracing,” Logan said. “Mommy!” Olivia cried, running down the stairs. She jurnped into Serena’s arms. “Where is your brother?” Serena asked, hugging her daughter. “I’ll go get him,” Logan said. Serena nodded. Logan headed upstairs, looking for the young boy. He could hear his soft whimpers coming from somewhere on the second floor. Oliver wasn’t in his bedroom, so Logan checked Olivia’s bedroom and then Serena’s.
He felt like it was an invasion of Serena’s privacy to be in her bedroom, so he ducked out the moment he knew Oliver wasn’t in there. He doubted she’d be too happy about him lurking in her room. Though, the idea brought a subtle smile to his face. Logan found Oliver hiding in the bathroom, curled up in the bathtub. “Hey buddy,” Logan said, kneeling down next to the tub. “What’s going on? The child trembled as he uncurled and looked at the Alpha. “There’s lightning outside,” he said, his voice shaking. Logan reached into the tub and scooped Oliver up in his arms. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “Inside, we are safe from the thunder and lightning. Besides, your mom is here, and she will always protect you.” “Will you stay too?” he asked. Logan started bringing Oliver downstairs. “I can stay,” he said. “Oliver, what’s wrong, love?” Serena asked, coming over and taking the boy from Logan’s arms. “I’m scared, mommy,” he said. Serena hugged her son, rubbing his back. Logan watched her with the boy, seeing just how maternal and warm she was. It was a pleasant change from Holly’s crudeness. “Logan said he’d stay for the storm,” Oliver said. “Logan!” Holly snapped, putting her hands on her hips. Logan went over to Holly and his mother. The wind had picked up outside, howling through the trees. Another clap of thunder hit and the sky lit up with lightning. “Holly, go home with my mom. Get inside before the storm gets too bad,” Logan said. “I don’t want to go out there without you,” Holly argued. Logan crossed his arms and looked at his mother.
“Come on, Holly, I can’t go out there alone,” Flo said, tugging at Holly’s arm. “No, I don’t want to go without you,” Holly insisted. “Why do you need to stay with them anyway?” “The kids are scared,” Logan said. “I’m just going to stay with them through the storm. Then I’ll come find you.” “No,” Holly argued.
“Well, I’m going.” Flo said. “And Holly, if you don’t come with me, I could get hurt.” Flo headed for the front door. Logan raised an eyebrow at Holly. She growled and stamped her foot. “Fine! I’ll see you later,” she said. She took off after Flo. Logan turned back to Serena. “You don’t have to stay,” she said. “The kids and I have been through rough storms together before.”
“No, we want him to stay!” Olivia said, running to Logan’s side and grabbing his hand. Logan smiled down to her. “The storm is getting bed” Logan said. “I don’t mind staying if it puts the kids at ease.” There was another loud bang of thunder that shook the whole house. Both kids screamed and cried. The sky opened up and rain pelted down on the house, splattering the windows. “Come on,” Serena said. “Let’s sit on the couch and read a book.” Olivia hopped up on the couch and Serena sat down, Oliver still clinging to her. “Can you pick a book, Logan?” Olivia asked. Logan nodded, heading to the book shelf in the living room. Oliver whimpered with each rumble of thunder. “How about Call of the Wild?” Logan asked, holding the book up. “Is it about wolves?” Olivia asked. “There are wolves in it,” Logan said, coming back to the couch and sitting down with Olivia tucked snugly between him and Serena. Oliver was still in his mother’s lap. He turned his teary eyes towards Logan as he opened the book and started reading. It was a good distraction for the kids, and Logan read as calmly and smoothly as he could. He even used funny voices for the different characters, getting Olivia to laugh and Oliver to sniffle away his tears. Eventually, Olivia fell asleep leaning against Logan’s arm and Oliver was asleep in his mother’s arms. “Thank you,” Serena said, looking at Logan as he closed the book. “We should get them to bed.” Logan picked up Olivia and Serena stood up with Oliver in her
arms. “We’ll put them down in Olivia’s room. They’ll want to be together,” she said. Logan nodded, following her up the stairs. He liked seeing her so gentle with the kids. She put Oliver down in the bed, tucking him in and kissing his forehead. His red, puffy face relaxed and he squirmed, grabbing for the nearest pillow to hug. Logan thought back to his morning, hugging a pillow in hopes of not having to get out of bed.
Turning to him, Serena took Olivia from his arms. She laid the girl down beside her twin, and they turned towards each other, clinging to each other.
“The storm is picking up,”Logan said, looking out the window. Branches were bending in the wind, and rain pelted against the glass.
“I guess you’re stuck here until it passes,” Serena said. Logan smiled at her. The thunder pounded and the power went out, Serena gasped, clutching at her chest, and the kids sat up in bed, screaming. Serena grabbed Oliver, and Logan picked up Olivia again. The ground shook, the entire house trembled. “That wasn’t thunder,” Serena said. Logan looked out the window again, seeing that a few trees had fallen down.
“Trees are coming down,” he said. “Let’s get to the bathroom.” The kids continued to cry, and no amount of rocking and hugging would sooth them. They had to feel safe!
In the bathroom, Logan motioned for Serena to get into the tub. She did, sitting down and taking Olivia in her arms along with Oliver. “You’ll be safe there,” Logan said. “I’m going to check the rest of the house and bring back a flashlight.”
“There should be one in the kitchen,” Serena said. “If not, there are candles in the living room.” Logan nodded and headed out of the bathroom.
With the power out, the lightning flickered even brighter, making the house and the sky flicker with brightness. Logan found the flashlight in the kitchen. He raced back upstairs and gave Oliver the
flashlight. He turned it on and the boy looked a little less frightened. “Trees are coming down all over the neighborhood” Logan said. “You should be safe in here.” Serena nodded.
“It doesn’t feel that way,” she said, hugging her kids tighter. The house swayed in the wind, and Logan was annoyed that the housing construction wasn’t sturdier. “The storm can’t last that much longer,” he said, trying to be optimistic. Serena’s smile was weak and didn’t reach her eyes. Logan placed a hand on the backs of each of the twins. There was a creaking sound from outside, the sound of a tree straining against the wind.
“That’s the tree in the backyard” Serena said, eyes widening. Logan rushed to Olivia’s bedroom so he could look outside. The wind was tossing the branches around, the tree arching awkwardly, bark splitting. The tree was going to come down! Back in the bathroom, Logan hopped into the tub with Serena and the kids. “The tree in the back is coming down,” he said. “It might hit the house.” “It’s okay, babies,” Serena told her kids; rocking them as best she could. When the tree split, the crack was almost as loud as thunder! Logan grabbed Oliver, curling around him. Serena did the same with Olivia, protecting the kids as the roof crumbled in and the tree crashed down on them.
“Okay.”
Olivia and Oliver screamed. Serena screamed too, her hand reaching out to grab Logan’s arm. Water poured down on them, leaves and barky scattered over them, but the branches weren’t long enough to actually hit them. “It’s okay,” Logan said firmly. “We’re all okay.” The rain was letting up. The sounds of thunder were drifting away into the distance. Logan sat up, uncovering Oliver’s body. He was clinging to his shirt, crying and whimpering. Serena sat up, breathing deeply. The fear in her eyes tugged at Logan’s heart. He looked at the tree that had crashed through her roof. The floor of the bathroom had
also caved in, damage to the rooms below was unavoidable, but his only concern was getting them safely out of the bathroom without the rest of the house crumbling around them. “We‘ve got to get out of here,” Logan said. Serena nodded. Logan took Oliver first, carefully navigating around the tree and the broken floors. He set Oliver down on the floor in his bedroom, the least damaged room on the second floor. “Don’t leave me,” Oliver said, grabbing at Logan’s arm. “I’ve got to go get your sister and your mother,” he told the boy. “Stay right here, hold onto the flashlight so I can find my way back. Be brave.” He touched Oliver’s cheek. Oliver nodded, tears in his eyes. The floor boards creaked dangerously under Logan’s weight as he headed back to the bathroom. He held his breath, hoping the floor wouldn’t crumble under him.