Chapter 80 Realization
Logan headed out to the back deck. He saw Charlotte sitting in a lawn chair, the twins running around and playing. Serena appeared from behind a tree, pouncing on the ground in wolf form.
Her overpowering, mouthwatering scent hit him like a punch in the gut! Logan gave a soft grunt, but it was enough to catch Serena’s attention.
In her wolf form, she froze, staring at him. Logan stared back, wide eyed and too shocked to move or form a single word! He recognized her now! She was the wolf he had encountered in the woods, the one he didn’t know and who he thought was his mate! More than that, his memory clicked into place from where he knew her!
A somewhat fuzzy night in a tree house after a masquerade party. His senses had been dulled that night, but after seeing her pictures in the living room and smelling her in the woods, there was no mistaking that she was the woman he had spent the night with!
“Kids, look who has come for a visit,” Thomas called to the twins. They looked over at the deck.
“Uncle Logan!” they cried, running towards him. Logan still hadn’t been able to move Serena’s eyes hardened as she started at him. Automatically, Logan went down on his knee to hug the kids, but he still couldn’t pry his eyes off Serena. His mind was on overload, and it wasn’t until she disappeared into the bushes that he was able to focus on the twins.
“I missed you two,” he said, hugging them. “We missed you too!” Olivia said. “We went fishing, and the fish Oliver caught attacked us!” She threw herself dramatically over Logan’s arm. He smiled, enjoying her antics, even though it felt tight. He needed to talk to Serena, that was all he could think about, but she still hadn’t emerged from the bushes. He kept glancing up, but she wasn’t returning. She knew he knew! All her secrets were coming out now, and Logan had never imagined he was one of them! “That
sounds like a lot of fun,” Logan said. “Can you go fishing with us next time?” Oliver asked. “I’d like that,” Logan said. “Olivia, Oliver, how old are you now?” Olivia looked closely at her fingers, forming them and holding her hands out to show Logan how many years old they were. “This many years,” she said. “You were at our birthday, don’t you remember?” “Yea, that big storm,” Oliver said, leaning in a little closer to Logan. Logan sighed, yes he remembered. He had been their hero that day, and every day since! Shaking his head, he looked closely at Oliver and Olivia. They looked very much alike, but Oliver was his spitting image! He remembered when his mother had thought Oliver was his childhood ghost!
All the evidence had been there, but he had been too wrapped up in his own drama to really notice!
Serena came back out from behind the bushes. She was in her human form now, dressed. She was brushing her fingers through her hair to get the tangles out.
Logan looked up at her. Her face was hardened, but her eyes were somber. She wouldn’t look at him. As she slowly walked towards him, the atmosphere in the yard changed, enough so that Thomas and Charlotte became aware of the tension, “I didn’t know you were coming,” Serena said curtly. Logan scoffed. He stood up and gently pushed the kids towards their grandfather. He stepped off the deck so he could stand right in front of Serena. On the outside, he was well in control of his anger. He wasn’t going to prove to her that he was the monster she thought he was, not in front of her kids or her family. Lips and jaw tight, he glared at her. “Pack business,” he said through gritted teeth. “Your father wanted to surprise the kids. Looks like I’m the one who is surprised.” Serena sighed heavily, shaking her head.
“This isn’t what it looks like,” she said quickly, still not looking at him. That almost caused Logan to lose control! He growled under his breath and took a heavy, deep breath. Closing his eyes, he sighed, forcing himself to remain calm. He was so close to losing his temper again. How could she have lied to him about so much!?
Now, he felt like his anger was justified. She had lied to him about something completely life changing, and she had done it knowing how open he’d been with her. He’d confided in her about so much,
including his concerns about being a father, and she had said nothing! Logan’s hands clenched into fists at his side. “Logan, come play with us!” Olivia shouted over the deck rail. Logan’s spine tensed. He glanced over his shoulder at the twins.
“Your mother and I need to have a chat, first,” Logan said tightly. Serena sighed, finally looking at him. He couldn’t figure out what it was that he saw in her eyes. It was a mixture of sadness, anger, hatred, and sorrow. For a moment, Logan softened at her expression.
“Is something going on, here?” Charlotte asked, coming over to the two of them. Thomas was keeping the kids on the deck. Neither Charlotte nor Thomas could know what was going on, but they could tell there was something.
Nothing, mom,” Serena said, shooting her mother a sharp look “Nothing that needs to be talked about here.” Logan scoffed. “We are going to talk about this,” he insisted. Serena raised an eyebrow at him, “You really want to do this here?” she asked, nodding towards the twins. Charlotte had backed off, but she still spoke in a hushed voice. “Logan, I can feel your temper is on the brink of breaking.”
Taking another deep breath, Logan’s nostrils flared as he exhaled. He held as still as possible, worrying that if he moved, he would unleash his temper. Serena was right, though, this wasn’t the kind of conversation to have around her family or the kids,
He took a few more deep, calming breaths. When he opened his eyes again, Serena had her arms crossed and she was giving him a stern look. The kind of look a mother gives a misbehaving child. It was beyond condescending, and Logan felt his temper flare again! “You’re a bitch, you know that?” he asked her. Serena looked taken aback. “I don’t know what you think you know, Alpha,” she said, using his title as an insult “I know plenty,” he said. “No, you don’t,” Serena said. “You only think you know, but you can’t understand any of this, not until you calm down and we can talk about this rationally.” “Rationally?” Logan asked, his voice rising. Serena winced. Logan swallowed his anger, looking back.
Thomas and Charlotte had taken the kids inside. Thankfully, they had determined that the twins didn’t need to see what was about to unfold. “In case you haven’t noticed, rationality holds no place in this conversation,” he said. “Nor will it ever explain your actions!” “I don’t have to explain my actions to you.” Serena said. “I don’t owe you anything!” Logan growled at her. Stepping forward, he grabbed Serena’s shoulders and gave her a gentle, restrained shake. He couldn’t believe that she was trying to defend her actions! There was a part of him that wanted to shift into wolf form and sink his teeth into her throat! He was beyond livid, and the lid he was keeping on his anger was so precarious!
Everything she said just made it worse. Logan looked around the yard quickly, his hands tightening on her shoulders. He worried she’d try to run away and then he’d never get his answers! This wasn’t the best venue for the kind of conversation they needed to have. Her parents or brother could intervene at any moment. The twins could come out wanting to play. He definitely didn’t want them to witness anything. “Come with me,” Logan hissed. Serena shook her head. “I’m staying here,” she insisted. Logan growled, moving his hand to her elbow. He
wanted to talk to her in a more private setting. This house was her territory, and she had the upper hand. They needed to go somewhere neutral.
“Come on,” he repeated, pulling her arm at the elbow. Serena growled, but she followed so it wouldn’t draw attention. Logan had the feeling her family was watching them. Any parent would, wanting to be protective if their child got in a situation they couldn’t handle.
Logan wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t going to hurt Serena or do anything crazy. He just needed answers, and he knew that he probably wasn’t going to like all of them. It was better to be somewhere isolated where he could be angry about what he was about to find out without everyone else judging him. Logan brought Serena to his car. He practically shoved her into the passenger seat. When he got in the driver’s seat he locked the doors so she couldn’t run off.