Logan's Acadian Wolves (18 page)

Logan had heard enough. “Yeah, I know protocol. What a bunch of shit, doctor. I take you into my home, and you don’t think you owe me the decency to tell me that you’ve been working on a virus that could have the capability to kill wolves? Fuck,” he grunted, shaking his head.

He didn’t want to come down so hard on her but he was beyond frustrated. Seriously? A virus that attacks wolves? A corporation looking to exploit the virus? What she was saying didn’t seem possible. What was it about the godlike Jax Chandler that drove her to keep this a secret?

“But they can’t yet. I told you, that’s why they wanted me. I’m sorry,” she whispered.

There was nothing else she could say. It was ironic that the past five years she’d done nothing but devote her life to research, all in the name of protecting wolves, and she was no closer to helping Emma. To add to it all, she’d opened her heart and body to an incredible Alpha, one who was very much pissed at her at the moment. She was a fool to have even thought for one minute he’d understand. As her thoughts drifted to Jax, she almost felt relief. If he found out she’d been with Logan, he’d be angry with her too. Her heart broke, because there had been no doubt how she felt about him earlier. She’d been willing to give herself to him in every way, and it couldn’t have felt more right. In his arms, she belonged to him. He was her Alpha.

But maybe it had been the wolf who’d claimed him as Alpha? The entirely human part of her now doubted her own feelings. Logan’s disappointed expression left no room for misinterpretation. He didn’t want her here with him or his wolves. Now that he knew the truth about what was going on with ViroSun and why she was imprisoned, he could align with Jax and deal with the issue on his own. As she watched him, she could see the wheels turning, the ever present leader calculating his next move in the war strategy.

A commotion in the next room jarred her back to focus, and she straightened her back when she heard Léopold’s voice. What was he doing here? Was he somehow involved in Dana’s death? She quickly sidled up behind Logan, close but not touching. As the door flew open, she held her breath.

Unbeknownst to her, Logan had texted the dark vampire in the car after Fiona had mentioned the state of the body. Logan couldn’t be certain if vampires were in charge of this operation or not. True, vampires had tortured Wynter and had a hand in Dana’s murder, but in his long life, he’d learned that things weren’t always as they appeared. What he hadn’t mentioned to Wynter was that it was possible more than one person had killed Dana.

“Thank you for coming,” Logan told Devereoux and nodded over to Dana.

Léopold wasted no time, going directly to the body. Picking up the cold arm, he sniffed at the skin and darted his tongue over the small wounds. Unceremoniously, he stood and rubbed his nonexistent five o’clock shadow. Contemplating the situation, his menacing eyes met Logan’s.

“Her neck was the fatal blow, no? There’s a lot of blood. But someone did drink from her. These bites aren’t just for show. No, they took much blood before killing her.”

“But there’s no signs of struggle,” Logan indicated.

“Oui. Pleasure bites, perhaps. It would explain her relaxed positioning, the peaceful look in her eyes. I believe she knew him. Or her.” Léopold gently slid his fingers over the woman’s eyelids, closing them.

“That I hadn’t considered. But your guards were all males, correct?” Logan asked Wynter.

“Yes.”

“But still, there’s nothing here to indicate the sex of the killer,” Logan agreed. “It appears she hasn’t been sexually assaulted although an autopsy would be needed to confirm. I don’t smell sex.”

“The scent is exactly what disturbs me,” Léopold pointed out, fisting his finely manicured fingernails.

“We didn’t smell anything,” Dimitri told him.

“The she-wolves were the ones who found the body,” Logan explained. “What do you smell?”

“Ah, it’s so very faint, but vampire. And to my great dismay, it is from my line. Perhaps not a direct child,” he reasoned. “No, it cannot be. They’ve all been accounted for. Isn’t that interesting? Where did you say you found Wynter last night?”

“Down near Decatur. Courettes. I sent a couple of my guys down there last night afterwards, but they didn’t find anything. But if you’ve got a scent, we should go together,” Logan suggested. “Give me an hour and I’ll meet you there. First, I’ve got to get Fiona and Luci home safely.”

“They’ll be gone,” Wynter added softly.

“It’s a longshot, but if it gives Devereoux more information about who he’s looking for in his ranks, then we’re going,” Logan said tersely. “Dimitri, take Wynter home.”

“I can go with you,” she interrupted.

“No, you can’t,” Logan disagreed. No fucking way was she going anywhere near that place, putting herself in danger again. Logan needed to get away from her for a while anyway. She was clouding his judgment. He should have sent her to Jax the minute he found her. Because of his overactive libido, he’d allowed her to stay and worse, he played with her. The confusing emotions would endanger her and his pack.

“But I could help you find where they kept me,” she continued, until Logan turned on her. Wynter’s feet moved backward on their own until she’d backed up against a closet door. She’d never understood how the pack and an Alpha communicated, but she swore she could literally feel his anger emanating off of him, snapping across her skin like a whip.

“You. Will. Go. Home. Do not argue with your Alpha, Dr. Ryan. You will learn soon that there are consequences for disobedience within the pack. Do not test me,” he growled at her.

“But Logan…” Wynter’s eyes brimmed in tears as he admonished her in front of the others. She wanted to scream at him that she wasn’t a wolf but thought better of it.

“Not another word. Now go.” Logan’s face hardened and his eyes fixed on hers before he turned his attention to Dimitri.

“Get her out of here. And keep her safe until I return.”

“You got it.”

“Hey D, one more thing. Did you call Zeke and Jake? I need them to deal with Dana’s body.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Dimitri moved over to Wynter and gently put his arm around her. “You okay?” he asked, aware that Logan was watching his every move with her.

Wynter nodded silently. She wanted to leave; she hated this place. She already sensed how Logan had distanced himself from her, well before he yelled at her. No, the embarrassment of being chastised was just the finality she needed to know she had to go home to New York. Confused and alone, she wanted nothing more than a hot shower and to crawl into a bed. She might have to wait to go home to the city, for Jax. But she was good at waiting. Being held captive had taught her that.

If she really was a wolf, she could continue to live with Jax, at least until he found a mate. He’d proved a million times over that he’d protect her, of that she was sure. Jax was everything she’d needed when there was nothing. And by some cruel fate, she once again had nothing. No job. She had a degree in a career that she didn’t look forward to jumpstarting. Her health was questionable, infected with an unidentified agent. Her mind would be forever broken by the memories of the torture she’d endured. And the small place she’d begun to open in her heart for Logan was a figment of her imagination. Like a mirage in the desert, the oasis was transforming back into sand.

The last thing she saw when they left the apartment was Fiona curled into Logan’s arms. Luci stood next to him, caressing the back of his head. Feeling nauseated at the sight of another touching him, Wynter tried to look away but not before Logan’s eyes flashed to hers. His impassive facial expression gave no clues as to what he was thinking, but she recognized the flare in his eyes.
Passion.
Whether filled with hate or love, a storm brewed within him.

The Mistress celebrated the death of the meddling doctor. It couldn’t have gone more smoothly, except perhaps for that diabolical vampire. She hadn’t counted on him being in New Orleans. Kade would have been much easier to deceive. But Devereoux, he was an entirely different creature. Much too clever for his own good. But now that she knew he was here, she’d be more careful.

She cursed the Directeur. He’d been sloppy, indulging the pretty hybrid in foreplay before killing her. He should have merely slit her throat, leaving no clues as to what kind of creature had taken her life. How unfortunate for him that the ancient one now suspected the Directeur’s lineage. Idiocy and arrogance would be his downfall. From the minute they’d met, he’d aspired to a stature well beyond his capabilities. It served him right to be taken down a peg.

If they identified him, she’d eliminate him. Pity, but she couldn’t have his mistakes thwart her plans for her Acadian Wolves.

The cab ride back to the mansion was a blur. Wynter didn’t want Dimitri to see the tears streaming down her face. She’d looked in the other direction, staring aimlessly into the dark city streets. Long ago, she’d learned that emotions equated to weakness. She may be broken, but she’d never let them see it. A survivor, she’d get through this like every other dreadful experience. Ten years ago, she thought nothing would match the pain and devastation when her loving parents were brutally murdered in a carjacking. It had felt as if a shard of glass had cleaved open her heart. She mourned them for years until life had become tolerable. Up until six months ago, she’d begun to hope that she’d maybe create her own family someday, filling that void in her chest that had never quite mended.

Tonight, Logan might as well have torn her in half when he yelled at her. One minute she’d been ready to make love to him and the next it was over before it started. The final blow had been how he’d allowed Fiona and Luci into the comfort of his arms so quickly. Her cerebral, human self knew that he’d been attending to their grief as Alpha, but her soul felt crushed. Her wolf yelped wildly at the sight, not understanding what she was seeing. The beast was growing stronger. Angry and hurt, her emotions swirled like an out of control tornado uplifting and destroying anything in its path. None of the feelings meshed with her normally levelheaded approach to life.

The wolf within seethed, aware that her Alpha was in the hands of other females. Wynter closed her eyes, trying to push the animal away, but it kept at her, unrelenting. The full moon was only days away, and she suspected there was a chance she would indeed shift.
Oh God. How could this be happening?
She’d been afraid to ask them where Dana had taken her blood or what the results were. She figured that she’d do her own analysis once she got back to New York. Other than the wolf, no physical discomfort or illness remained from her ordeal. No, all the pain she felt was in her own mind. Restless and heartbroken, Wynter didn’t know how she was going to get through the night.

Before she knew where she was, she realized she was standing inside the guest room. Had Dimitri walked her all this way? She didn’t even remember getting out of the cab. Exhausted, she sat on her bed and put her face into her hands.

Dimitri was worried about the little wolf. She hadn’t spoken the entire way home. He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like for a human to transform into a wolf. Even if she lived with wolves, it didn’t make her one. Adapting to their lifestyle would not be easy. Listening to Logan reprimand her was difficult. But she’d needed to learn that she couldn’t openly challenge the Alpha, especially after everything that had transpired; Dana’s death, her own confession.

Observing her listless state, his suspicion that she was Logan’s mate grew stronger. Her wolf needed her mate, and he’d been with another woman. That alone would have driven her wolf berserk. But it was more than that; Logan had withdrawn after the scene at the club. For a minute, he thought he might have to hold Logan back from tearing Léopold apart limb by limb. Jealousy didn’t even begin to describe his Alpha’s behavior. He’d watched his Alpha possessively sweep Wynter off her feet. And she, and her wolf, ravenously attacked him in return despite her otherwise modest human nature. It was the hottest thing he’d witnessed in a long time. After seeing her in the pool earlier, Logan wasn’t the only one walking around today with an agonizing erection.

Dimitri wished she’d just come clean from the beginning. Protocol was one thing; endangering pack members was an entirely different story. But to be fair to her, he and Logan had taken her into their home knowing someone was still after her. She’d shared as much. The whole situation summed up to a clusterfuck of monstrous proportions. He sure as hell hoped that Logan and Léopold found some kind of clue soon before all-out war broke out in New Orleans, because if they didn’t, he was certain his Alpha would tear up the city to find Dana’s killer.

Dimitri watched Wynter slump onto her bed. He needed to do something to help her get through the night; something that did not include touching her too much. His Alpha may not have understood what the female meant to him yet, but Dimitri wasn’t fool enough to test his theory. When Logan came home, he’d go in search of her. Similar to Wynter’s current reaction from being separated from Logan, the pull to be with her would be too much to resist.