Logan Chapter 41

-Emory-

I’m not sure what to say. I’m still reeling over the fact that Logan-dog was just regular Logan, but in wolf form. I try to think back over this past month or so. If we both felt this bad after a week of being together, then ‘working something else out’ has to be pure bullshit. I know now that I would have wasted away to nothing if Logan hadn’t moved in with me as a wolf, and if he really does have so many people relying on him then he can’t afford to be stuck as a canine forever. That’s even if I still wanted him to suffer that badly. If he was telling the truth that night… Am I the one to blame here?

I can’t help but fantasize about where we could be right now if I had just taken ten entire seconds to listen to Logan without labeling him psycho. How could I have known that werewolves are real, though? Nobody in their right mind would have believed that. I just watched my dog turn into my… ex? My date? I watched Logan-dog turn into Logan and I still am not entirely sure I’m not suffering a mental break, myself.

James told him in that scary voice to shift and all the tiny hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood up. It felt like my entire apartment filled with static, then my dog started twitching and stretching like he was having some kind of seizure. His fur sucked back into his skin, his back legs lengthened, his tail slowly sucked back into his spine, and his whole face rearranged. It was like watching a nightmare play out in real time. No wonder they’re the stuff of horror movies. But then Logan was standing in the middle of my living room- tall, dark, and naked like he’d been there the whole time.

He and James treated the sudden nudity like it was an everyday thing. I, admittedly, am struggling with it. It had been easier when Logan and I were kissing. It made sense for him to be naked in that situation, even if having James watch would’ve bothered me later. Now that he isn’t outwardly aroused anymore, I find myself struggling to keep my eyes above level. I really tried not to have fantasies about Logan-the-man while we were separated, but even when I slipped, I hadn’t done him justice. I feel like he has more abs now than he did the last time I saw him naked.

On one hand, he lied to me about who he is, what he is. On the other hand, I can feel my body reacting to him stronger than I’ve ever reacted to a man before. I remember my own Mama’s advice to give him another chance. Of course he didn’t out werewolves right away. Who would? Someone might let the secret out…. Someone like Cora. Shit.

Abruptly, I realize that my feelings right now don’t even matter. I can’t be so selfish that I would doom thousands of people just because of a lovers’ spat. My parents raised me better, if nothing else. I remember how Logan talked about his “community,” his pack. There were kids at stake, families. Nanette must depend on him as well. We can work on my trust, or the lack thereof, when we get done dealing with whatever Cora has done.

“If everything you’ve been sayin’ is true, then I guess James is right. We don’t have time for my feelings right now. We need to get this Cora stuff ironed out. What did she do? Let me see the article.” James passes me his phone with the article already pulled up. I take a few minutes to read it, then watch the video attached at the end.

The article implies that Logan has manipulated some adorable kids into pretending to be werewolves somehow, but the shifting in the video looks too real to be some kind of after school play or whatever she’s trying to sell. The only explanation the world at large would believe is incredible computer work, which wouldn’t make the children uncomfortable at all. There is a little implied nudity where the children dart behind some bushes at the very end of the shift and come out with ill-fitting outfits on, but nothing shows on camera and the children don’t make anything of it. Why did Cora think this would smack of abuse to anyone….? That’s when I saw the pictures of me, bruised and crying, clearly drinking straight from a bottle of tequila. Fuck. I did not give her permission to use those. Humiliation washes over me as I think of how many people have probably seen this. How many people think I was used and abused by my boss? Well- he’s my boss’ boss, a few layers removed. I just know that Brittany and Sara already think I was trying to sleep my way to the top. Cora just ruined my life as well as Logan’s trying to get her big break.

I look up to see James’ sympathetic face. I could swear that something about it lets me know that he doesn’t use that expression often. It softens him from Nordic hardass to disheartened surfer. “I… I definitely didn’t give Cora permission to use those pictures. I didn’t even give her permission to take most of them. Isn’t that… is that illegal? Why would my best friend do this to me? I can’t believe this. Cora is… ambitious, yeah, but she would never throw me under the bus like this. She isn’t that cutthroat.”

James continued to look uncomfortable for another few seconds before mastering himself. “Unfortunately, that’s exactly the kind of person she is. We had a PI look into her- her past, her associations, her habits- and there was a string of men in college she’d been blackmailing. When we got in touch with them, a good half said they’d dated you first. Cora found or manufactured dirt on them to extort them for sex or money or grades.”

Logan’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “You dated a professor? My rule- following little rose? Naughty girl! You’ll have to tell me about it later.”

I felt myself blushing all over again. “He wasn’t my professor.” I mumbled. “But that doesn’t make sense- Cora was always the one saving me from the creepy guys. She pulled me out of so many bad or just plain dangerous relationships in college it’s not even funny. It’s why I haven’t dated in so long. I got a little jaded about liars, cheats, and weirdos.” Logan sobers at this, and James looks even more grave, if possible.

“Maybe one or two of those guys were actually problematic, but certainly not all of them. Cora played her cards damn well to have kept herself out of jail for extortion and blackmail. Lucky for us that she did. Some of the men have already been contacted about coming forward with her past behavior. It looks like the plan to discredit her is going to be the way to go, Logan.” Logan visibly relaxes at the last bit of information.

“I like that plan much better than the one where we discredit me. Emory, are you going to be alright? I’m so sorry she’s turned out this way, baby. I wish this hadn’t happened this way. Will you come out and tell the press that you didn’t consent to those pictures? We can press charges if you want, but I won’t try to make you do anything sweetheart.” I feel the tears in my eyes at the systematic dismantling of the most stable friendship in my life. Who even am I that Cora could fool me so easily? Why did I let her walk all over me for so long? Clearly she didn’t actually have my best interests in mind. How do I ever trust anyone again? I side eye Logan at this last part. Maybe I just don’t. Maybe I’ll let him get through this publicity nightmare and then we go our separate ways. James seems like he’s together enough to be able to watch over Logan’s pack. I have no idea if the vibe I got from him was right anymore. Clearly I’m no good at judging my relationships. Maybe he deserves to be a wolf. I can’t even tell anymore.