The Wolf's Mate Book 6: Logan & Jenna (7 page)

Month after month, Logan had
to defend his position against those lower in rank.  And the alpha wasn’t
satisfied until one of the two wolves in the fight was unconscious.  Logan had
seen many wolves begging for mercy as they were beaten savagely.  Every month,
Logan proved he was the best fighter.  Suddenly, the loner that no one cared
about was the hottest ticket in town.  Females in the pack swarmed over him. 
Even females that had looked down on him for being a brawler and a thug warmed
up to him.  He’d never had so many invitations to take she-wolves to bed before
he’d been forced to fight for his position every month.  He reveled in it for a
long time, feeling like he belonged for the first time in many years.

The heady feeling of being
desired had slipped away quickly.  It hadn’t taken him long to realize that the
females weren’t really interested in
him
, so much as his position in the
pack and his good standing with the alpha.  He had held out hope for a long
time that he might find his mate within the females of his pack, or even the
human female pack-groupies that hung around.  But no matter the curves or the
cleavage, the batted eyelashes, or the tempting smiles, he could never picture
himself settling down with any of them.  And he wondered why everyone thought
he
should
settle down.  If he could find his truemate, why wouldn’t he
want to wait for her?

Eventually it grated on him. 
The mindless fighting.  The empty sex.  Never knowing where he really stood
with his alpha, who was supposed to be his role model, a male he revered.  And
then the alpha began inviting a large group of humans to watch the rank fights. 
He’d even secured an indoor stadium, with an announcer and arbitrary scoring,
and taken bets against who would win and lose.  Sick to his stomach after all
he suffered through that night as he put down his fellow pack members, he decided
to leave the pack and go rogue, find a place of his own and carve out a life
for himself.  It was then that he’d seen a posting on an online community
bulletin board about a wolf pack in Kentucky looking for members.  He’d jumped
at the chance, walking away from his pack and joining up.

For the first time since his
grandmother died, Logan found a modicum of peace in the Tressel Pack, with his
packmates and friends.

Jenna sniffled and wrapped
her arms around him, surprising him.  “Sweetheart?”  He hugged her with one arm
and tipped her face up with his free hand.

Her eyes were shining with
unshed tears.  “You’ve lost so much.  I’m just sad for your past.”

Her emotion tugged at him. 
She didn’t pity him, he could see that, but she was genuinely sad that he’d had
a rough go of things.  Running his thumb along the bottom edge of her lower
lip, he said, “I am who I am because of my past.  I…sometimes wish that things had
been different, that I’d had the storybook family with two loving parents and
siblings.  But right now, I don’t regret any of that.  My past put me in the position
to be able to save you, and I wouldn’t change a damn thing that led up to this
point.”

Her silver eyes darkened to
the color of steel, holding his gaze with an intensity that made him believe
she could see right through to the very center of him.  Normally, he didn’t
care for people scrutinizing him, but she was different.  Not just because she
was a fairy, but because she was his.

He drew her closer, pulling
her lush body against his, and splaying his hand across her lower back.  He
wanted to take things slowly with her, to treat her right, but he couldn’t stop
himself from tasting her, just once.

The one word that slipped
from his lips before he touched her mouth with his own was laced with want and
need and possession:  “Mine.”

Chapter 5

Logan’s lips were soft as
they touched Jenna’s for the first time, pressing gently to hers and pulling
away just slightly.  Tilting her head, she drew her arms up around his neck,
stretching up on her toes, and met his mouth again.  The light touch of their
lips faded into a hungry possession, as their mouths parted together and their
tongues met, sliding and dancing.

Her fingers curled around his
neck, her thumbs brushing through the short hair at the back of his head as he
bent his huge frame to meet her.  The fingers of his hand slipped through her
hair as the kiss went on, and he held her against the hard planes of his body
with one arm around her.  She felt incredibly tiny next to him and was amazed
at his gentle touch.  He could probably snap her in two without much effort,
but he held her as if she were precious, and that’s exactly how she felt. 
Precious.  Cherished.  Wanted.

He angled his head, deepening
the kiss, and a sound rumbled from his chest that was a cross between a growl
and a purr.  If Jenna’s eyes had been open, they would have rolled back in her
head.  He claimed her with his mouth, moving his tongue with purpose, touching
and tasting and teasing, until her heart was pounding wildly, her body was
burning, and her nails dug into the back of his neck.  She’d never been so
thoroughly, so perfectly kissed before, and as he stroked along the roof of her
mouth, she shivered and her knees weakened.  But Logan didn’t let her fall,
swinging her up into his arms and pulling away from the drugging kiss.

With a frown, he strode over
to the large bed and put her down.  “I’m sorry,” he practically snarled, and
she blinked up at him in confusion.

“What on earth for?”

“You’re still weak from your
ordeal.  You don’t need me mauling you.”

He straightened and she
caught his hand, bringing it to her body and placing his palm over her pounding
heart.  She met his deep brown eyes.  “You didn’t maul me, Logan; that was the
most fantastic kiss I’ve ever had.”

He smiled, looking a little
stunned.  “It was the best for me, too.  I was just worried when your knees
went out.”

She shrugged, smiling
sheepishly.  “You’re a good kisser.”

He laughed, shaking his
head.  “You, too, sweetheart.  Do you want to get cleaned up while I make
something to eat?”

She nodded and he scooped her
up in his arms and carried her into the attached bathroom.  Although the home
was older, the bathroom was new, with crisp white tiles, a corner shower, and a
garden tub.  He put her down and grabbed a towel from under the sink, before
asking if she’d rather have a shower or a bath.  She chose a shower, and he
turned the water on, disappeared into the bedroom, and returned with the bag of
clothes his friends had purchased for her.  After a quick kiss on the cheek, he
ducked out of the bathroom to go to the kitchen.  The clock on the counter said
it was four a.m., and Logan said it was Monday, so she’d only been away from
her family for two days. She knew they would be frantic, wondering about her
safety, so the moment the sun rose, she would contact them.

She showered, using Logan’s
products.  They were more masculine-smelling than the products she was used to
using.  She made her own products, using all-natural ingredients, and preferred
to mix sweet and floral scents together.

Jenna dried off, wrapping her
long hair up in a towel on her head and standing in front of the mirror over
the sink.  She looked at her naked body, inspecting it for any lingering marks
from the iron poisoning, finding none.  She still felt a little weak, but she
knew that would fade after a good meal and some rest.

She was at least a foot
shorter than Logan, and she couldn’t help but smile as she thought about how
handsome he was.  His dark brown hair was short and soft like velvet. 
Expressive brown eyes, a straight nose, kissably full lips, and a square jaw. 
Just thinking about his muscular body, those broad shoulders and that trim
waist, thick legs and arms bulging with strength, made her shiver in
anticipation.  Waking up in his arms had been both shocking and arousing. 
She’d never seen so many tattoos on one man before.  He-fairies didn’t cover their
bodies with ink.  But Logan’s arms and back were heavily inked with broad,
black tribal designs of complicated swirls, curves, and sharp points.  She
supposed others might think the tattoos menacing, but she found them alluring
and exciting, and she was looking forward to exploring them.

She rubbed her hair until it
was mostly dry and opened the bag, finding an assortment of panties, pants,
tops, and one pair of white sandals.  There was no bra in the bag.  Although
Jenna liked to let the girls hang loose when she was alone, she was a little
too well-endowed to do so in public, especially the way her nipples hardened
every time she thought about Logan.

Deciding she could do without
until they were able to return to the glen to gather her belongings and
transport them here, she slipped on a soft button-down long- sleeved top and a
pair of jeans.  Using the brush on the counter, she brushed her hair until it
shone, the silver strands of her heritage glinting in the overhead light.  She
could tell she was still weak, because her eyes and her hair strands were still
dull.

Putting the scrubs in the
trash, she brought the clothing bag out into the bedroom, set it on the dresser
and went to find Logan.  She hadn’t really thought she was hungry, since she’d
had a sandwich when she first woke up, but the moment she entered the hallway,
her stomach rumbled loudly at the scents assaulting her.  She couldn’t place
what exactly was appealing to her, but something in the kitchen smelled
delicious and her mouth began to water.

Logan, wearing jeans and a
tight black T-shirt, stood at the stove, turning a steak with a long-handled
fork.  The small, round table was set with two plates, silverware, and two
glasses.  As if sensing her, Logan looked up and the corner of his mouth curved
up.  “You look like you feel better after cleaning up.  Have a seat.  Do you
drink coffee?”

“Do you have any tea?”

He clucked his teeth.  “No,
sorry.  But we can pick some up later today.”  He laid the fork down on the
stove and turned the burner off.  Opening the refrigerator, he peered inside. 
“Coke, root beer, I’m not too sure about the milk, and bottled water.”

“Water’s fine.”

“Sorry.”  He put a bottle in
front of her and took the glass, gathering ice cubes from the freezer and
returning it to the table.

“Don’t apologize.”  She
looked up at him and smiled.  “I’m pretty sure you didn’t expect to be bringing
home a woman that you rescued in the woods.”  She arched a brow in jest. 
“Unless you go around rescuing strange women every weekend.”

He flashed her a grin that
showed a hidden dimple in his cheek and her heart stopped for a moment. 
“You’re my first.  How’d I do?”

“Really, really well.”

 On the table were several
packages of thinly-sliced meats and cheeses, an assortment of condiments, and a
large loaf of bread in a plastic package.  He sat down at the table with an
oval plate with two steaks on it, and put it in the center of the overflowing
table.

“Sorry.”  He glanced around
the table.  “I don’t eat breakfast.  I work a late shift, so when I get home
from work I eat dinner and then I sleep until the afternoon.”

“Please stop apologizing.” 
She smiled encouragingly at him.

He gestured to the table and
encouraged her to help herself.  She considered making another sandwich, but
the steak was calling to her, so she speared it with her fork and laid it on
her plate.

He took the other one after
popping open a can of Coke.  She cut a piece from the steak and put it in her
mouth, chewing slowly.  She sighed happily, closing her eyes and savoring the
taste of the rare meat.

After complimenting Logan on
his cooking skills, she asked about his job and he told her that he was a
bouncer at Jake’s, a local bar that was run by the pack.  He told her he was
ranked fifth in the pack, and then had to explain the ranking system to her,
because she was clueless about it.

“So you’d have to beat up
your friends if you wanted to be higher then you are in the pack?”  She frowned
in confusion.

“I guess that’s one way of
looking at it.  Rank only matters if you care about it.  I didn’t join up with
this pack because I wanted to come in as the alpha’s second, I did it because I
like the way it’s set up.  Jason runs a tight ship, and Michael, Bo, and Linus
are great guys and strong wolves.  The higher up a wolf is, the more
responsibility they have.  I still have to go to the meetings, and take turns cleaning
up the full moon meeting place with the younger wolves, but I don’t have near
the responsibility that the others higher than me do.”  He paused and then
said, “Do you care?”

Swallowing the last bite of
steak, she put her fork and knife down and met his eyes.  He looked worried. 
“About your rank?”

He nodded briefly.

She pushed away from the
table and stood, walking around to his side and sitting down on his lap.  She
loved how his arms immediately went around her.  Stroking her fingertips down
his cheek, she said, “I only care that you’re happy.”

His eyes smoldered and her
body heated.  Sliding her hand back, she cupped the back of his head.  Her eyes
roamed over his handsome features and down his thick neck, stopping just at the
place where his pulse thumped under the surface.  Desire filled her, but not
just sexually driven.  She had the urge to sink her teeth into his neck and
bite hard until she broke through the skin and could taste his blood.