Logan POV
I was done listening to Anna.
I didn’t want to hear anything else.
Not right now.
I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.
I needed to be alone with my mate. I needed to tell her how fucking much I loved her. I needed to show her how much she meant to me. I needed to taste every fucking part of her body. I needed it as much as I needed my next breath.
“Andrew, please show Anna to her room in the packhouse.” I told him, keeping my eyes on my mate. “We are done for today.”
“I would like to have a word with Emma in private.” Anna said, making me look at her.
I still didn’t trust her enough to let her be alone with Emma.
“You can’t talk to her without me there.” I said. “And I am done listening for today. So, unless it’s an emergency, it can wait until tomorrow.”
Anna glanced at Emma and nodded.
“Okay, Alpha.” she said, looking back at me. “It can wait until tomorrow.”
“Good.” I said as I stood up and placed Emma on her feet.
“Come here, love.” Andrew said, reaching out for her.
She walked into his arms, and he hugged her tightly.
“It’s going to be okay, Em.” he said as he kissed the top of her head. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” Emma mumbled as she let him go.
Andrew looked up at me and took a deep breath.
She is yours, Logan. He mind-linked me. I can feel it. He won’t take her from you.
I hope that you are right about that. I mind-linked him back. I won’t survive if he does.
Andrew tightened his jaw and took another deep breath.
I meant what I said. I wouldn’t be able to live without her. If he took her from me, I wouldn’t be able to go on. It would kill me. I was sure of it.
“I will see you all tomorrow.” I said as I took Emma’s hand in mine and started pulling her away.
“Goodbye.” Emma said quietly.
“Goodbye, Emma.” Anna said softly.
I opened the cabin door and stepped outside.
I couldn’t wait to come home and be alone with her. I couldn’t wait to bury myself inside of her and tell her how fucking much I love her.
I started walking toward our home as fast as I could. I couldn’t shift because I still couldn’t feel Leon. Also, I had no idea in what state of mind he was. He needed his mate to calm down, and I wasn’t going to disturb them.
Emma and I didn’t speak all the way to our home.
The things I wanted to say and do to her couldn’t be said and done in the middle of the forest.
But as soon as I closed the front door of our house, I picked her up, pinned her against the wall, and kissed her as hard as I could.
I finally let myself feel the pain I had been pushing away since Anna told us that there was another man out there who wanted my mate.
I felt the tears fall on my cheeks, and I sobbed against her lips.
“I love you.” Emma told me as she cupped my cheeks and leaned her forehead on mine. “I won’t leave you, Logan. I wouldn’t be able to live without you. I will reject him. I will do whatever I have to do to stay with you.”
She used her thumbs to wipe the tears off my cheeks.
“You are not just my mate.” she continued as she placed a soft kiss on my lips. “You are my best friend. You are the love of my life. You are my husband. You are the father of my future children. I am not going to throw all of that away for someone I don’t even know and love.”
My heart clenched painfully.
“You will feel the bond with him.” I said quietly. “You will love him.”
“No.” Emma said, shaking her head. “I don’t love you because of a bond, Logan. I love you because you are an amazing person. I love you because of everything we’ve been through. I love you because you cared for me even before you knew we were mates. I love you because you screwed up and did everything to make up for it.”
I sobbed again and pressed my body closer to hers.
I needed to feel her.
“I love you because of our inside jokes and how we always laugh about something before we go to sleep.” Emma continued as she placed a small kiss on my jaw. “I love you because you snore so loud, and I sometimes can’t sleep because of it. I love you because I am happiest when I wake up next to you in the morning. I love you because you make me feel like the luckiest girl on the planet.”
She placed another soft kiss on the corner of my mouth.
“I love you because you always make me coffee in the morning.” she said softly. “I love you because you always eat the pancakes I make, even though you and I both know that I suck at baking them and that I always burn them.”
I chuckled through my tears. She really couldn’t make the pancakes without burning one side.
Emma placed a soft kiss on my lips and looked me in the eyes.
“I love you, Logan.” she said. “I love everything about you. I love the good and the bad because all of that is you. I wouldn’t change a thing about you. I wouldn’t trade you for anything or anyone else.”
I looked at the love of my life, and every ache I had in my body disappeared.
“I was in shock after I heard everything that Anna said.” Emma sighed. “I’m still in shock. But I will sit down tomorrow and come up with a plan. I will reject him. I will tell him that I am not interested in another mate. I will tell him that I want to stay with you. I will do whatever I have to do to stay here, Logan. I am not going anywhere.”
He wouldn’t let her go that easily. He would want her. I knew that he would. He would fight for her. He wouldn’t agree to let her stay with me. I knew it, but I didn’t want to tell her that. Not right now.
She was right. We could come up with a plan tomorrow.
“I don’t need a second mark, Logan.” Emma said as she caressed my cheeks. “I don’t need powers. I need you.”
I leaned in and kissed her as hard as I could.
“I love you, Emma.” I whispered against her lips. “I love you so fucking much.”
I held her tighter and started walking toward our bedroom. I was so fucking done talking. I needed to be inside of her. Now.
