Logan Chapter 85

I’m stuck on Cora duty, yet again. I’d almost prefer to do Logan’s duties. I’m not sure how I managed to fuck up so many things so spectacularly with one decision. I can only console myself with my plan to fix everything. I’ll get it all smoothed over when I remove Cora from the equation. I’ve noticed that she’s been getting bolder; she’s started to leave her apartment more often again, going out dancing once or twice a week. I know her favorite foods for takeout, I know her favorite places to shop, and I know where she likes to hang out in Central Park to taunt me with the fact that I’m not supposed to make contact with her.

Logan is getting mated tomorrow, though, so I guess it matters less to break this rule when I’m about to shatter every rule entirely. I’ll go to the mating ceremony, I’ll head out for “vacation” straight after that, and maybe I can finally get this woman out of our collective business. Once the police give up on finding her after she supposedly pulls a runner, we’ll all be able to go back to normal. With a nod to myself, I get out of my car during Cora’s next food run and start to tail her on foot. I don’t bother looking away from the back of her head, letting her feel my gaze like a laser slowly setting her hair on fire. If only.

I get a sick sense of satisfaction when Cora feels my presence and starts to walk faster. All the shit she got me into, this is the least repayment she deserves. Even the Hell she has coming is nothing compared to possibly exposing the entirety of my race to the humans. If Logan and Emory weren’t so on top of fixing the information leak, we’d all already be boned.

I should be grateful that big brother is coming to save the day, just like the rest of my fucking life. It seems like anything I do, no matter how well-intentioned or well-thought-out, has blown up in my face for our entire lives. Somehow, sometime in our childhood, I just got so tired of failing and failing and failing to come out of Logan’s shadow that I decided to turn around and run from it in the other direction. It was easier to stop trying, to just have fun and let the pieces fall where they may. Logan, bastard that he is, turned out to be such a good Alpha that he barely needs me to help run the pack even when he also has a company to run. I’ve basically been babysitting the pack while he’s at work during the day.

I shake my head, coming back to the present. Cora has started to almost jog, looking into her bag for her pepper spray. I encroach on her personal space just a little more. “You know kitten, you should never let a stalker see that you’ve noticed them. It’ll only encourage them.” I smother my smile when she startles and practically levitates off of the sidewalk.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be stalking me you psycho! Isn’t there an implied restraining order when you press charges on someone?” She shoots back, shying to her left to get me out from behind her so that she can see me more clearly. I give her my most charming smile, the one that’s been dropping panties since I was sixteen.

“I haven’t pressed anything on you yet. You’ll have to ask very nicely before I do anything like that.” I don’t miss the quick flick of her eyes down me as she checks me out before she replies.

“Hold your breath on that, asshole. Why are you here?” She slows down from her near-run and walks next to me, with a healthy few feet between us.

“Just making sure you don’t get yourself into any more trouble, is all. I figure all these issues were caused by me taking my eyes off you when I shouldn’t have. Easy enough to fix, don’t you think?” I don’t miss her eye roll, and I can’t believe I’m still enjoying the banter with this crazy bitch.

“I’m just minding my own business, trying to get dinner. There’s no reason for you to follow me like this.” I don’t miss the scent of lies intensifying. It’s subtle when she’s already drenched and marinated in it like a skunk’s spray, but I’m stronger and closer to my wolf than most.

“For some reason, I don’t believe you, kitten. Wanna try again?” I start to wonder if I should have just followed her at a distance as usual. She’s up to something, and now I’ve lost my chance to observe her behavior unaffected by my presence. Add it to the pile of fuckups I’ve cultivated with her.

“I don’t have to explain anything to you. Get away from me before I call the cops.” Her mouth flattens into an angry line, but her lips are still full anyway. I didn’t let her in the gates because of her personality, after all.

“I don’t think you have a lot of credibility with the police right now. In fact, if I heard correctly, you don’t have credibility at your job, either. Does everyone know you’re crazy, or just the general population of New York?” I can’t resist ribbing her. It’s like lighting the fuse on a firework. I light her up, then step back and watch the entertainment.

“I’m not fucking crazy! I know what I saw!” She stomps and everything, even as her voice screeches over the conversations happening around us. There’s a small bubble of silence as the New Yorkers around us put more effort into ignoring her. Gotta love the Big Apple.

“Such fucking language! You’re starting to act a little crazy, not gonna lie. Am I in danger here?” I almost laugh at the thought of her being a match for me physically. She’s just as tall as Emory, but she’s a skinny little thing. I have to have at least a hundred pounds on her. My biceps are bigger than her thighs.

She huffs and obviously resolves to ignore me- as much as it’s possible to ignore more than two hundred pounds of wolf shifter walking beside her. I put my hands in my pockets and whistle a pop song that’s been overplayed on the radio while I’ve been watching her night after night. I must have thwarted whatever nefarious plans she had for the night, because she really does just walk to her favorite restaurant, buy her favorite meal, and leave. I order my own meal just after her, and jog after her as soon as it’s in my hands. I guess I’ve got another boring night ahead of me, but it should be the last one.